This article identifies and examines a critical juncture in Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy history in order to understand the contemporary Australian ECEC policy landscape, especially in relation to the way in which quality in child care is mandated and understood. In policy, critical junctures are path-breaking policy developments that have lasting impacts (Gal & Bargal, 2002; Pierson, 2004). This article illustrates how examining critical junctures can deepen understandings of processes that contribute to transformative policy shifts. In doing so, we illuminate ways in which contemporary contexts have been shaped by past policy. (author abstract)