What Is the Quality and Regulatory Framework (QRF)? A Plain-English Guide for Irish Providers

  The Quality and Regulatory Framework, universally known in the Irish early years sector as the QRF, is one of the most important documents a registered early years provider in Ireland needs to understand. Yet it is also one of the most frequently misunderstood. Many providers know the QRF exists and know it is connected to Tusla inspections, but are unsure exactly what it does, what its four themes mean in practice, and how to use it as a genuine tool to support their service. This plain-English guide explains what the QRF is, why it was developed, how it links to every Tusla inspection your service will experience, and how you can use it as a self-evaluation tool to identify where your service is strong and where there is room to grow. Originally published in 2018 and revised in 2025, the QRF is Tusla’s interpretation of the requirements for compliance with the 2016 Regulations, brought together in a single structured document.

What Is the QRF and Why Does It Exist?

The Quality and Regulatory Framework was developed by the Tusla Early Years Inspectorate in collaboration with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. It was launched in September 2018 following an extensive consultation process involving registered providers, parents, representative organisations, national support bodies and international regulatory peers. The EU Directorate-General responsible for Early Childhood Education and Care described Ireland’s approach in developing the QRF as placing Ireland among the leaders in early years regulation across European countries. That is not a small achievement. The QRF was created to do three things. First, to make compliance requirements transparent by setting out clearly what Tusla expects to see in early years services across Ireland. Second, to bring together the best available evidence from national and international research on early years quality into a single practical framework. Third, to give providers a tool they can use for ongoing self-evaluation and quality improvement, not just for passing inspections. The QRF was revised in 2025 with updated layout and vetting information to reflect changes in the sector since the original publication.

The Four Themes of the QRF

The QRF is structured around four themes, each of which reflects a core area of quality and compliance in early years provision. These four themes are the same four areas assessed during every Tusla regulatory inspection.  

Theme 1: Governance

Governance covers the management, administration and organisational systems that underpin how a service operates. Under this theme, Tusla assesses whether the service is registered correctly, whether the Person in Charge is appropriately qualified and present, whether Garda Vetting is in place for all staff and volunteers, whether the complaints procedure is documented and followed, whether the Child Safeguarding Statement is up to date and displayed, and whether all required policies are present, reviewed and embedded in practice. Good governance is the foundation on which everything else rests. A service may deliver excellent care to children on a daily basis, but without strong governance systems, it cannot demonstrate compliance to a Tusla inspector. Governance is typically the area that generates the most action plans across Irish services.

Theme 2: Health, Welfare and Development of Children

This theme sits at the heart of the QRF because it focuses directly on the child. Under this theme, Tusla assesses the quality of the interactions between staff and children, the appropriateness of the programme of activities offered, how children’s individual needs are identified and supported, how transitions within and between settings are managed, and how the service partners with parents and families. This theme is where Aistear and Siolta are most directly relevant. Tusla inspectors look for evidence that the service has a planned, documented programme of activities that draws on the themes and principles of Aistear, and that the environment and the adult-child interactions reflect the values of the Siolta quality standards. Under the updated Aistear framework in effect from September 2025, services should also be demonstrating awareness of the new emphasis on children’s rights, diversity and sustainability.

Theme 3: Safety

Safety covers the physical and procedural safety measures that protect children, staff and visitors within the setting. Under this theme, Tusla assesses whether comprehensive risk assessments are in place and regularly reviewed, whether fire safety procedures are robust and tested, whether first aid and medication protocols are correctly followed, whether infection control measures are consistently implemented, and whether adult-to-child ratios are maintained at all times. The safety theme is where documentation and practice must align most precisely. A fire drill recorded in the fire safety register must match the evacuation procedure described in the fire safety policy. A medication consent form must have a matching administration record. Inconsistencies between documentation and observed practice are a significant concern for inspectors under this theme.

Theme 4: Premises and Facilities

The premises and facilities theme assesses the physical environment in which children spend their time. Tusla inspectors look at whether the floor space meets the minimum requirements for the number and age of children in each room, whether the outdoor area is safe, accessible and used daily, whether toilet and handwashing facilities are appropriate for the age groups served, whether the setting is clean, well-maintained and appropriately resourced, and whether the sleep environment for babies and toddlers meets the safe sleep guidance. Under this theme, inspectors are not just looking for a clean and tidy setting. They are assessing whether the physical environment actively supports children’s learning, development and wellbeing throughout the day.

How the QRF Links to Tusla Inspections

Every Tusla regulatory inspection of an early years service is structured around the four QRF themes. Inspectors use a standardised Inspection Notebook, a sample of which is published on tusla.ie, that follows the QRF structure precisely. At the end of every inspection, the draft Regulatory Inspection Report presented to the provider is organised under the same four theme headings. This means that understanding the QRF is effectively the same as understanding the lens through which every Tusla inspector assesses your service. Services that have read the QRF relevant to their service type, understood what good practice looks like under each theme, and structured their self-evaluation and improvement processes around the four themes are consistently the best prepared for inspections. The QRF is available in separate versions for full and part-time day care services, sessional preschool services, childminding services, drop-in centres and overnight services. All versions are available to download free of charge on tusla.ie. Every registered provider should have read the version relevant to their service type.

Using the QRF for Self-Evaluation

The QRF is not just a document Tusla uses to assess your service. It is a tool you can use to assess your own service before Tusla arrives. Using the QRF for self-evaluation means working through each theme systematically and asking yourself what evidence you have of compliance and quality in each area. A practical self-evaluation approach is to work through the QRF themes quarterly. Assign one theme to each quarter of the year, involve your team in the process, and use the findings to build a Quality Improvement Plan that identifies what is working well and what needs development. Document the process and keep the records, as this documentation itself becomes evidence of your commitment to quality that you can show a Tusla inspector. Your local City or County Childcare Committee can provide support for self-evaluation through the Siolta Quality Assurance Programme and through the Better Start National Early Years Quality Development Service. Both programmes are free of charge to registered services.

Getting the Resources to Support Your QRF Self-Evaluation

At Early Years Shop, our Quality and Compliance resources are specifically designed to support Irish early years providers in meeting the requirements of the four QRF themes. From policy templates and risk assessment packs to compliance records and quality improvement tools, we provide the practical resources that make QRF-aligned practice manageable on a day-to-day basis.