In recent years, the early childhood education and care sector has faced a troubling rise in fraudulent qualifications, a threat not only to professional integrity but also to the safety and wellbeing of children. From forged certificates to unaccredited training providers, the issue has triggered national investigations and sweeping reforms.

As of 2024–2025, new national regulations across Australia have significantly tightened restrictions on smoking and vaping in and around early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. These changes reflect a growing commitment to child safety, educator well-being, and public health, and they’re now embedded in the Education and Care Services National Regulations and the National Quality Standard (NQS).

Across continents, a shared truth is emerging: children read better when they feel safe, supported, and free from judgment. In Finland, the lukukoira (reading dog) program has been quietly revolutionizing literacy since 2011. In Australia, similar programs are now flourishing in schools and libraries, offering children the chance to read aloud to calm, friendly dogs who simply listen.

In early childhood education and care, child safety is more than a policy—it’s a daily commitment to creating environments where children feel protected, respected, and empowered. While audits and investigations play a critical role in accountability, true safeguarding begins with proactive reflection. That’s where the Child Safe Self-Assessment tool from the NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian steps in.

Every child deserves to feel safe, valued, and supported, especially in the environments where they learn and grow. In response to this foundational truth, the National Child Safety Training Project is reshaping how Australia’s ECEC sector approaches child safeguarding.

A Brisbane childcare provider has been fined $12,500 after a five-year-old child was discovered crossing busy roads alone.  The incident occurred on February 17, 2023, when the child exited through an emergency door that led to street level from the centre, which is located above a shopping complex.

A major childcare provider operating 18 centres across New South Wales has introduced a $20 fine for families who fail to follow prescribed drop-off and pick-up procedures. The move—framed as a compliance measure—has sparked widespread concern among families, educators, and advocates, especially given the provider’s recent scrutiny during a parliamentary inquiry into safety breaches.

In a world increasingly driven by metrics, compliance, and performance benchmarks, early childhood education stands at a crossroads. The question is no longer just “Are we meeting standards?” but “Are we nurturing joy?” A growing movement of educators, researchers, and sector advocates is reclaiming the emotional heart of early learning—where delight, wonder, and connection are not side effects but central outcomes.

The federal childcare regulator has issued clear guidance to operators in response to a surge in serious incidents—particularly involving children being lost, left behind, or locked in rooms in response to a spike in safety breaches across the sector.

Australia’s early childhood education sector is facing a reckoning, as a Senate inquiry uncovers widespread concerns about declining quality and child well-being—particularly in for-profit early learning services.