Starting Blocks will get a refresh based on parent and family insights

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) will refresh the StartingBlocks.gov.au website from February 2022, based on feedback from a diverse group of families from across Australia. 

StartingBlocks.gov.au will also display service fees, vacancies and inclusions, making it the one national government website for families to find children’s education and care services, providing trusted information for free.

Families gave the following feedback in relation to the startingblocks.gov.au website: 

• It needs to demonstrate that it is a government website with trusted information. This matters to them. They made the point that this is their child they’re thinking about, and they want the best quality they can get.  
• They like the ‘look and feel’ of the existing website, and the images and videos showing children in quality education and care services to help them understand the types of options that may be available for their child.
• They want more information about service National Quality Standard (NQS) quality area ratings. The service NQS quality area rating details were as important to them as other criteria such as the service location, commenting they may drive further to get what their child needs. 

Families also wanted easy ways to compare services, search for a service on their mobile phone, and a system which is easy to use while holding a baby or with a toddler sitting on their lap. These real life factors help us design and create the best user experiences for them.   

“We were also pleased to hear that, after using StartingBlocks.gov.au, most families want to visit the service,” ACECQA shared. 

“While they’re interested in seeing images and visiting service websites, they want to have a personal visit. As you know, this is a key step for services and supports relationship building with your families and communities.”

While families may use startingblocks.gov.au to gather information, along with discussing their choices with family and friends, they will ultimately make their decision based on their experiences with the service, particularly with respect to the relationships they form with the team, and how educators engage and speak with children. 

“If there’s some social proof of that from other families available on social media or websites, they’ll certainly pay attention to it,” ACECQA added. 

“We’ve heard from families that finding the right education and care service for their child and family online isn’t all about speed and making a quick booking like online shopping. They also told us they know there are less credible sources of information online, and they really appreciate and value credible trusted government information sources like startingblocks.gov.au.”

To view the Starting Blocks website, please see here.