Hundreds of childcare centres across Australia have been formally “put on notice” as regulators respond to mounting concerns over child safety, compliance failures, and systemic misconduct. The move signals a decisive shift in accountability, with authorities warning that services failing to meet standards will face serious consequences.
A New South Wales parliamentary inquiry has revealed alarming gaps in the childcare sector’s ability to detect and prevent child abuse, with NSW Police warning that some offenders are deliberately “shopping around” for centres with weak safeguards.
Amid a surge in allegations of sexual offences within the childcare sector, NSW Police are urging parents to bypass childcare centre directors and report concerns directly to law enforcement. The warning comes as a parliamentary inquiry exposes serious lapses in child safety protocols across the industry.
Australia’s Children’s Commissioner has called for the establishment of a dedicated Cabinet Minister for Children, citing escalating concerns over child safety and systemic failures in the childcare sector.
Open-ended play activities are all about freedom, exploration, and creativity—especially powerful in early childhood settings where babies and toddlers are discovering the world through their senses and movement. Here’s a rich collection of examples tailored for babies (0–18 months), with variations to suit different developmental stages and settings.
Thanks to the new National Model Code and upcoming regulatory changes under the National Quality Framework (NQF), early childhood services across Australia must now implement robust policies for the taking, use, storage, and destruction of images and videos of children. Here's a sample policy template aligned with the latest updates, effective from 1 September 2025.
An NSW parliamentary inquiry has revealed that Little Zak's Academy, a prominent childcare provider, received over $2.9 million in state funding despite multiple breaches of child safety regulations across its centres.
A concerning case has emerged in Victoria where a worker, despite being blacklisted, continues to hold a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC). The situation has prompted swift action from the Victorian government, which is now seeking to revoke the clearance.
In early childhood education, the decision to defer a child’s school entry by a year is often framed as “staying back.” But educators across Australia are challenging this language, advocating instead for a strengths-based perspective: sending children when they are developmentally ready.
A: Employers must give at least 7 days’ notice for changes to rosters, including meeting times. If the meeting is compulsory, it must be paid.
This reflection guide is designed to support educators in rethinking school readiness through a holistic, child-centered lens. It encourages dialogue, challenges assumptions, and strengthens programming that honours each child’s unique journey.
The Connection Schema is a cognitive play pattern where children explore how things join, fasten, and separate.
