Following shocking revelations of abuse in early childhood education centers, federal and state authorities are considering additional safety measures for childcare workers, including the installation of CCTV in centers and revisions to working with children checks. Under proposed federal legislation presented on Wednesday, childcare centers may face the loss of federal funding following a single safety breach. However, Education Minister Jason Clare is unable to specify when a national database of childcare workers, which would require linking state and territory records, could be established.
The introduced early childhood safety bill aims to give federal regulators increased authority to penalize providers failing to meet safety standards, enhance their capability to conduct unannounced service visits, and perform spot checks. Clare emphasized that the goal is not to close centers but to elevate standards and enforce them. The legislation would provide the Education Department with the authority to deny, suspend, or cancel a provider’s access to childcare subsidies if they are found to be failing quality and safety standards, a decision that could also be made public.
The bill’s explanatory memorandum underscores that providers failing to offer high-quality, safe care risk losing their approval to administer the Child Care Subsidy or face other compliance actions. Moreover, childcare regulators will gain the power to conduct unannounced visits to centers to investigate safety concerns, expanding their current authority to probe only financial fraud issues.
Clare stated that funding cut off could occur after a single safety breach, indicating that it will take some time for the full impacts of these proposals to manifest. Despite bipartisan support, both the Greens and the Coalition express concerns that these measures do not adequately address safety issues and call for faster action in setting up a national worker database and enhancing training among educators. The proposal is expected to face examination and scrutiny as it moves through parliament.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/23/labor-reforms-to-strip-childcare-centres-of-funding-after-one-safety-breach-strike-ntwnfb
