As of today, February 27th, 2026, all ECE services are required to provide workforce information to the Register. Approved providers must now enter who is working in their services and keep it up to date.

From today, February 27, 2026, significant amendments to the Education and Care Services National Law and National Regulations are now being enforced, introducing new digital device safety standards across early childhood education and care services. By formally including these standards in regulations such as Regulation 168 (Policies and Procedures), Regulations 97 & 99 (Children’s Safety), and Regulation 73 (Educational Program), the changes make digital safety a legal requirement, reinforcing the sector’s role as a champion of child safety in a technology-driven world.

These reforms embed modern child protection measures directly into the national regulations, requiring services to update policies, strengthen risk management, and train staff to ensure digital devices are used safely and responsibly.

A father has sparked debate online after calling out what he sees as a “selfish” practice among parents using early childhood services. His message, though blunt, has resonated with many families and educators who face the ripple effects of illness spreading through childcare centres.

In early childhood education, consistency is more than a comfort; it’s a cornerstone of safety and learning. A recent sector discussion highlighted the risks of high staff turnover, describing it as a “revolving door” that undermines trust, attachment, and quality outcomes for children.

New national data reveals a drop in the proportion of qualified staff working in early childhood education and care services.

Recent alerts from TEQSA (Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency) and ASQA (Australian Skills Quality Authority) have raised concerns about students being funnelled into childcare courses without genuine interest or adequate preparation. Migration agents and private colleges offering fast-tracked qualifications are contributing to a surge of students entering placements without mandatory checks or sufficient training.

The National Quality Standard (NQS) has been updated to further reinforce the responsibility of early childhood education and care services in safeguarding children. Under Quality Area 7: Governance and Leadership, Standard 7.1—Governance now explicitly highlights that governance must support the operation of a quality service that is child safe.

The NQS continues to evolve to ensure that early childhood education and care services uphold the highest standards of safety, wellbeing, and protection for children. From 01 January 2026, a significant change has been introduced under Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety, with the addition of Element 2.2.3 – Child Safety and Protection.

All children have the fundamental right to feel safe, valued, respected and supported while attending early childhood education and care (ECEC) in NSW. To reinforce this right, the NSW Government has amended the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) as part of recent child safety reforms. These changes introduce new provisions that make it an offence to subject a child in ECEC to “inappropriate conduct” and clearly define what that means in an early childhood context.

The NSW Government has created the Early Learning Commission to strengthen child safety, quality, and accountability in early childhood education. This follows lessons from the Wheeler Review and new legislative reforms.

The Commission’s guiding principle is simple: Children first, always.