Purpose of the Award

The Warm & Welcoming Award This award recognises ECEC services that create warm, welcoming places where children and families belong and genuinely want to be.

It celebrates services that actively partner with families, and the broader community, to support enrolment and attendance of children, strengthen relationships, foster belonging, and support families in meaningful ways.

These services are inclusive, trustworthy, and culturally safe, recognising that strong family and community connections are central to giving children the best possible start in life.

Eligibility

This award is open to approved ECEC services in South Australia, including:

• Long Day Care
• Preschool (Government and Non-Government)

Services may choose to highlight a specific family engagement initiative, family support program or community partnership as part of their nomination.

Services of all sizes and contexts are encouraged to nominate. What matters most is not scale or resources, but the difference everyday practice makes for children and families in our local community

This award particularly recognises services that demonstrate inclusive practices for all children and families, including those experiencing vulnerability or requiring additional support. This may include, but is not limited to:

• children with disability or developmental delay
• children with additional needs (e.g. behavioural, social-emotional, health or learning needs)
• children and families experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage (e.g. financial hardship, housing instability, family stress)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families
• children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• children in out-of-home care or with complex family circumstances.

Services should demonstrate how their practices intentionally support equitable access, meaningful participation, and a strong sense of belonging for these children and families.

Purpose of the Award

The Uplifting Quality Award recognises ECEC services and Approved Providers that have made meaningful progress in lifting the quality of their service/s and practice across all Quality Areas.

It also celebrates strengthened practice over time, moving from working towards to meeting, or from meeting to exceeding, the National Quality Standards.

These services demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement through warm and responsive practice, intentional play-based learning and embedded reflective practice.

This award recognises whole service growth that has led to improved experiences and outcomes for children

Eligibility

This award recognises services or Approved Providers that have demonstrated sustained improvement in quality over time within South Australia.

Eligible nominees include:

• approved ECEC services located in South Australia
• approved providers who support improvement across one or more services, noting that while the approved provider may be based outside South Australia, the service(s) they are nominating must be located within South Australia
• services that have demonstrated progress within the National Quality Standard
• services showing an ongoing commitment to quality improvement and reflective practice.

Purpose of the Award

This award recognises collaborative partnerships and programs that support children’s learning, development, health, and wellbeing outcomes. It celebrates partnerships that bring together ECEC services, allied health, health services, and/or community organisations.

These collaborations focus on understanding children’s strengths, identifying developmental needs early, and responding through evidence informed, family‑inclusive approaches.

They play a critical role in supporting children experiencing developmental vulnerability or additional needs by enabling timely, coordinated, and targeted support. Working together, partners aim to do more to address developmental vulnerability and improve outcomes for 3‑ and 4‑year‑old children, their families, and communities.

Through shared expertise and collaborative practice, they work to reduce barriers to participation, strengthen inclusion, and ensure all children can engage meaningfully in learning and everyday experiences.

This award reflects South Australia’s commitment to shared responsibility, recognising that when professionals work together, children are better supported to thrive.

Eligibility

This award recognises partnerships between South Australian-based services and organisations that actively work together to support children and families.

• one organisation must submit the nomination as the lead partner. The lead organisation can be any of the partners involved; however, the partnership must include at least one ECEC service
• the impact of working together on children’s learning, development, health, wellbeing or inclusion must be demonstrated.

• the nomination must clearly show active collaboration with at least one external partner

Partners may include (but are not limited to):

• other ECEC services
• organisations delivering child health and development checks (CHDC)
• allied health services (including those delivering Preschool Boost Programs)
• community organisations (including those delivering Preschool Boost Programs)
• local councils
• libraries or other community organisations.

Purpose of the Award

This award recognises an outstanding contribution to the ECEC sector that strengthens outcomes for Aboriginal children, families, and Communities.

It celebrates a service or an Aboriginal person whose work is guided by culture, strong relationships, and connection with the local Aboriginal Community.

Through everyday practice, leadership, advocacy or service wide approaches, recipients of this award demonstrate strong cultural responsiveness, support Aboriginal cultural safety, value shared decision making and show a deep commitment to supporting Aboriginal children to thrive.

Eligibility

This award is open to either an individual or a service.

Individual Nominees:

• an Aboriginal educator, teacher, leader or professional working in the ECEC sector

• individuals at any career stage, including early career, experienced or senior roles.

Please note for individual nominations, the nominee must identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Service Nominees:

• approved ECEC services

• services nominating a whole‑service approach, program or partnership

• services demonstrating ongoing, genuine engagement with Aboriginal families and Community.

Aboriginal‑led services, services with Aboriginal staff, and services working in strong partnership with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations are strongly encouraged to apply.

This award will be assessed using a culturally guided judging process, supported by the OECD’s Aboriginal Leadership Committee. The OECD reserves the right to invite a suitable cultural external stakeholder/partner to be part of the judging panel.

Purpose of the Award

This award recognises a Certificate III or Diploma-qualified early childhood educator, at any stage of their career, who makes a positive difference for children every day through their pedagogical skill, and warm and inclusive practice. It celebrates educators who support every child to learn and thrive by creating safe, nurturing environments where children can build confidence and develop a strong sense of identity.

This award honours the impact of everyday practice and the important role educators play in children’s learning, wellbeing, and development, particularly children who may need extra support

Eligibility

This award is open to early childhood educators working in South Australia.

• Certificate III or Diploma qualified educators (qualification must be recognised on the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority qualifications page – ACECQA)
• indicate the highest level of qualification held
• educators currently working in a South Australian approved education and care service
• individuals at any stage of their career, including early career, experienced or senior educators
• educators who consistently demonstrate strong practice and a positive impact on children.

Purpose of the Award

This award recognises a degree qualified Early Childhood Teacher, at any stage of their career, who leads high quality, inclusive teaching and learning through strong pedagogy and reflective practice.

It celebrates teachers who make a meaningful impact on children’s learning, wellbeing and development through intentional program design, evidence informed practice and strong relationships.

The award particularly recognises teachers who support children with diverse learning needs, strengths and interests, and enables them toparticipate and thrive, including those experiencing developmental vulnerability.

Eligibility

This award is open to Early Childhood Teachers working in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector in South Australia, including:

• provisional or fully registered degree-qualified early childhood teachers with a valid teacher registration number as issued by the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia
• teachers currently working in a South Australian approved Early Childhood Education and Care service.

Purpose of the Award

This award recognises an individual who demonstrates outstanding leadership in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC).

It celebrates leaders who strengthen service quality, inspire and support others, and lead meaningful improvement that enhance outcomes for children, families, and educators.

This award recognises leadership. It celebrates people whose everyday actions, decisions, and relationships help create positive, inclusive, and high-quality learning environments.

Eligibility

This award is open to individuals working in leadership roles within the Early Childhood Education and Care sector in South Australia.

• Educators, Early Childhood Teachers, Centre Directors, coordinators or leaders working in an approved Early Childhood Education and Care service