The childcare sector wants clearer guidelines on when to send children home during future bushfires and has called for emergency concessions to allow fire-affected children to continue to access childcare.

Representatives from early childhood centres, schools and universities descended on Canberra on Wednesday for a meeting convened by Education Minister Dan Tehan in response to the summer's unprecedented bushfires.

Elizabeth Death, chief executive of the Early Learning and Care Council of Australia, said there needed to be improved national coordination, including "very clear national guidelines on when to close" and more information on what resources were available in emergency situations.

The peak body developed its own advice for its centres, taking into account their geographical isolation, accessibility, particular needs of their children and other factors.