Australia’s nationwide framework for checking individuals working with children may take up to 12 months to fully implement, according to the Attorney General | Childcare Australia

A national system for checking individuals working with children could take up to 12 months to establish, according to the federal attorney-general. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticized the current industry safeguards as inadequate. Before a meeting with the nation’s attorneys-general, Michelle Rowland emphasized the urgency to create a system that ensures those banned from working with children in one state are banned in all. However, she acknowledged that it could take a year to implement the necessary information-sharing arrangements. The delays are attributed to the fragmentation of the system, complex IT systems, and varying laws and regulations in each state and territory. Since 2015, there have been recommendations to shift to a national system, but recent cases of alleged child abuse at daycare centers have heightened concerns. The issue gained further attention after a Melbourne childcare worker, who had a valid working with children’s check, was charged with offenses related to eight alleged victims. Prime Minister Albanese deemed the system “hopeless” and called for better action from state and territory governments. The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, expressed dissatisfaction with the 12-month timeline and called for stronger leadership. In response to these concerns, the federal government has introduced legislation to cut funding for childcare centers failing to meet safety standards and has taken compliance actions against services identified as failing to meet national quality standards. The Victorian government has also ordered an urgent review of childcare safety, led by Jay Weatherill and Pamela White, which is expected to recommend reforms to the working with children check system.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/15/national-working-with-children-check-system-attorney-general-michelle-rowland-ntwfb