It points to a tumultuous time for the early education and care sector, which faced pressure to remain open and financially viable while coping with a sudden policy switch to free childcare.

In the 2019-20 financial year Children's Education and Care Assurance took 106 compliance actions, a significant increase from the 60 actions in 2018-19 and 59 actions in 2017-18.

An Education Directorate spokesman said there was an increase in low-level compliance actions coinciding with the onset and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There is a trend of incidents during this time relating to appropriate supervision of children, managing children's behaviour and appropriate interactions with children," he said.

Compliance actions range from administrative letters, to conditions on service or provider approval, enforceable undertakings, emergency action notices, compliance directions, compliance notices, suspension or cancellation of services and prohibition of individuals.

Minister for Early Childhood Development Yvette Berry said an increase in compliance actions showed the regulator was active in monitoring and enforcing the National Quality Framework.

"Maintaining high quality standards in the early childhood education and care sector is important to the well-being of our children and I have sought advice about what is behind this trend and what the ACT government can do to support improved compliance before regulatory action is required," Ms Berry said.

Children's First Alliance co-chair Lee Maiden said it was strange to see an increase in compliance actions because attendance was significantly down in March and April as families kept children at home.

"It could be the children were in a bit more distress so their behaviour may have been changed because family were dealing with stressful situations at home," Ms Maiden said.

She said educators were under significant pressure having to manage their own children at home while turning up to work so that essential workers could continue in their jobs.

"All of those emotions were heightened during that time," Ms Maiden said.

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Northside Community Services senior children's services manager Liam McNicholas said children were largely resilient as the pandemic set in but workers faced heightened stress and challenges.

"There was just so much uncertainty at the time and a real sense of fear when most people could stay at home," he said.

"Educators would have been fearful for their jobs."

Mr McNicholas said the increase in compliance actions could be related to how well leaders supported their teams during this time.

He said the non-profit provider was a huge supporter of the National Quality Framework, which sets out the strict regulations for early childhood education and care providers.

"It's the cost of working with young children," he said.

"There's no such thing as too much red tape, no such thing as regulatory burden."

In the ACT as of July 1 this year, 47 per cent of providers were exceeding the National Quality Standard (NQS), 27 per cent were meeting the NQS and 25 per cent were working towards the NQS.

One service was rated as significant improvement required and two services were rated as excellent by the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority.