In the quiet coastal town of Peregian Springs, a harrowing event unfolded outside Habitat Early Learning that could have shaken the very foundations of safety and trust in early childhood education. But thanks to the swift, composed actions of the centre’s educators, tragedy was met with bravery—and children were protected from trauma that no young heart should ever bear.

A childcare centre in Bushland Beach, Townsville, has changed its name while under investigation for multiple regulatory breaches, including allegations of poor supervision and child injuries.

In a powerful reminder of the life-saving potential of educator vigilance, a Queensland early childhood teacher recently spotted a subtle anomaly in a child’s eye—leading to the diagnosis of a rare and aggressive cancer, retinoblastoma. Her instinct and attention to detail didn’t just raise a red flag. It saved a life.

***Warning—Distressing Content*** It’s a sentence we hear too often in our sector: “There was insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegation.” But what does that mean in practice? It means that children—many too young to articulate trauma—are systematically failed. It means perpetrators continue working with children because our system prioritizes procedural thresholds over child well-being.

The sector is reeling. Again. This week, Queensland authorities confirmed two separate cases of workers with known child harm risks employed at childcare centres—one a young male charged with indecent treatment of a child, the other a convicted sex offender maintaining grounds at his wife’s service. These are not isolated failures. They represent systemic cracks that now gape wide open.

 In a landmark move towards safeguarding vulnerable children, the Queensland Government has unveiled mandatory annual safety training for all childcare workers—a first-of-its-kind initiative in Australia.

Following the discovery of serious shortcomings in the case of one of Australia's worst pedophiles, an independent investigation of Queensland's child protection system will be initiated. Under the direction of Luke Twyford from the Child Death Review Committee, the investigation will closely investigate the Blue Card system, which evaluates an individual's suitability to work with children.

Following a button battery incident at a Sunshine Coast daycare center, over 60 kids had X-rays taken.  Remains of a toy with button batteries near it were discovered at the daycare's playground, prompting paramedics to get a triple-0 call.

A child in the care of Rochedale Kids Early Learning Centre, Queensland, was given the wrong baby formula which caused a severe anaphylactic reaction, the service has been fined $24,000, with no conviction recorded.

In March 2024, a local Queensland man lost his life after being bitten by a snake while attempting to remove it from an early childhood service, in Townsville.