In a revelation that has shaken trust in New South Wales’ childcare oversight, a Guardian Australia investigation has uncovered a troubling gap between public safety ratings and internal risk assessments at childcare centers—leaving parents unaware of serious safety concerns.

An early childhood educator in Sydney has been charged with multiple offenses after Australian Federal Police (AFP) allegedly discovered more than 500,000 unique images of child abuse material on his electronic devices.

The New South Wales Government has unveiled a comprehensive legislative proposal aimed at overhauling the state’s childcare system. The reforms, announced in response to growing concerns over safety and regulatory oversight, are designed to strengthen protections for children and enhance accountability across early childhood education services.

A sweeping audit has revealed that a staggering number of organizations in New South Wales are failing to comply with mandatory Working with Children Checks, prompting a government crackdown and legislative reform.

More than 100 children and 34 staff members at Little Feet Early Learning and Childcare in Waverly, Sydney, are undergoing tuberculosis (TB) testing after an individual who tested positive for the disease attended the centre regularly over a six-month period.

South Australia’s Education Minister Blair Boyer has conceded that critical reforms to the childcare sector should have been implemented earlier, following heightened public concern over child safety and regulatory oversight.

A proposed redevelopment in Avalon Beach has sparked widespread community outrage, with over 222 formal objections lodged against plans to build an early childhood service directly above a Dan Murphy’s liquor store.

Two alleged incidents of physical violence against a child at Amaze Early Education in Silkstone have prompted a formal investigation by Queensland Police. The reports, made within the past week, concern events that occurred over the last four months.

A deeply distressing incident at First Steps Learning Academy in Bangor, Sydney has triggered a formal investigation and widespread concern across the early childhood sector. On Monday afternoon, a toddler was mistakenly handed over to the wrong grandparent and taken home for several hours before being safely returned.

On Christmas Eve, a childcare centre in Latrobe will close its doors—leaving 55 children, 20 staff, and over 150 waitlisted families scrambling for alternatives in a region already stretched to its limits. The announcement, delivered via email, has sparked distress, disbelief, and urgent calls for accountability.