If you want to run a childcare service in Australia, the first legal step is applying for childcare provider approval. This is the practical guide to how to apply, step by step: what to prepare, and how long it takes.
Step 1: Start with an honest self-assessment
Before you spend time and money on an application, check whether you would actually meet the requirements, because if you would not, there is little point applying, and a refusal is costly.
Every applicant, and every person with management or control, is assessed as a fit and proper person. That looks at your criminal history, your financial history including any bankruptcy or insolvency, and your capability to manage a service. Experience in childcare, management or team leadership is not strictly required by law, but it genuinely strengthens your application and your chances of running a successful centre.
So ask yourself honestly: do you and your key people have a clean record, sound finances, and the experience to run a service responsibly? If you are not sure where you stand, this is exactly where we help. See how we help you apply, or contact Childcare Ready and we will work through a self-assessment with you before you commit, so you only move forward if it makes sense.
Step 2: Set up your legal entity and ABN
Decide who will hold the approval. You can apply as an individual or as a company, and if you are applying as a company, make sure it has an Australian Business Number. A trust cannot hold a provider approval, so a trustee applies as an individual or a company. Whoever holds the approval carries the legal responsibility, so get this right before you apply.
Step 3: Register for the NQA IT System
Provider approval applications are lodged online through the National Quality Agenda IT System. Create your account there. Applying online is generally faster to process than paper.
Step 4: Prepare and upload your documents
Use the checklist below so nothing is missing. An incomplete application is the most common reason approvals get delayed.
Step 5: Submit your application
Lodge the completed application with all supporting documents through the NQA IT System. If you are also setting up a specific centre, you can lodge your service approval, and your CCS approval, at the same time, which saves time overall.
Step 6: The Provider Knowledge Assessment and decision
Once the regulator has a complete and valid application, it reviews it, verifies your information, and may ask for more. As part of this, you may be required to complete the Provider Knowledge Assessment, often called the provider approval exam, and in some cases an interview.
The Provider Knowledge Assessment is an open book test of the National Law and Regulations, 46 questions in 75 minutes. Open book does not mean easy: if you do not already know your way around the legislation, the clock beats you. This is exactly what our course is built for. We take you through the National Law in a clear, structured way and give you a full mock test that mirrors the real assessment, so you sit it prepared rather than hoping for the best. For more, see our guide to the provider approval exam and how to prepare.
What you need: the checklist
Applicant details. You can apply as an individual or as a company. A trust cannot hold a provider approval, so a trustee applies as an individual or a company.
Proof of identity for the applicant and each relevant person. You do not need 100 points or certified copies by default, though the regulator can ask for certified copies if it doubts a document.
Details of every person with management or control. For a company this generally means the directors; for an association or committee, the executive members.
Criminal history checks for the applicant and each person with management or control. Depending on your state, this is a criminal history check plus a Working with Children Check or card or teacher registration, or a Working with Vulnerable People check.
A fit and proper person declaration for the applicant and each person with management or control.
A declaration about bankruptcy or insolvency. For a company, whether it is under administration or externally administered, plus information on financial capacity if the regulator asks.
For a company, its ABN and company details.
Details of the service you intend to operate, if you are applying for service approval at the same time.
The exact documents are confirmed inside the NQA IT System application, and some requirements, especially the criminal history and working with children checks, vary by state and territory. We, childcare ready could walk you through exactly what you need for your situation.
How long does it take?
The formal timeframe is 60 days from a complete and valid application. In practice, expect longer. Since the middle of 2026, processing has slowed, and most applicants are now waiting more than 60 days for a decision. Part of the timeline is in your control and part is not: an incomplete application does not start the clock cleanly, and every request for more information adds weeks, but even complete applications are now taking longer than the formal timeframe suggests. So plan for it. Submit early, submit complete, and do not count on being approved by day 60.
What happens if you are refused
A refusal is costly everywhere, so it is worth getting right the first time. Victoria is currently the strictest: from 27 February 2026, a refused provider application there means a 12 month wait before you can reapply, without special permission. Other states do not impose the same fixed waiting period, but a refusal still sets you back, because you have to resolve whatever caused it before a second application can succeed. Either way, the lesson is the same: apply once, properly.
What happens after approval
Provider approval is the first step, not the last. Next you apply for service approval for your specific centre, and CCS approval so your centre can receive the Child Care Subsidy. Each builds on the one before, which is why a strong provider application sets up everything that follows.
How Childcare Ready can help
Applying for childcare provider approval is detailed, and the official learning material is free but self directed and a lot to work through alone, so it is easy to feel unsure whether you are truly ready. Our course gives you a clear, structured path through the whole process, from the self-assessment to a complete application to preparing for the Provider Knowledge Assessment, with a full mock test that mirrors the real thing. If you are thinking about applying, see how we help you apply, or contact us today, and we will help you do it properly.
