The Framework has been designed for use by school age care educators working in partnership with children, their families and the community, including schools. It represents Australia’s first national framework for school age care to be used by school age care educators, and aims to extend and enrich children’s wellbeing and development in school age care settings. This Framework is linked to the Early Years Learning Framework 2 which focuses on children from birth to five years. It extends the principles, practices and outcomes to the contexts and age range of the children and young people who attend school age care settings. Further, the National Quality Standard for Early Childhood Education and Care and School Age Care 3 supports the implementation of this national framework by ensuring that necessary environments, facilities, staffing arrangements, resources and management structures are in place. Educators guided by the Framework will reinforce in their daily practice the principles laid out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention). The Convention states that all children have the right to relax and play, and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities. The Convention also recognises children’s rights to be active participants in all matters affecting their lives and respects their family, cultural and other identities and languages. The Framework acknowledges the importance of play and leisure in children’s learning and development and that their learning is not limited to any particular time or place. Developing life skills and a sense of enjoyment are emphasised. The Framework recognises the importance of social and emotional development and communication in learning through play and leisure, and it forms the foundation for ensuring that children in all school age care settings engage in quality experiences for rich learning, personal development and citizenship opportunities