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.

Two senior executives at Affinity Education Group—one of Australia’s largest childcare providers—have resigned following a series of disturbing incidents and mounting public scrutiny.

From 19 January 2026, new mandatory safety standards for infant sleep products will be taking effect across Australia. These changes affect all consumers who use infant sleep products, including ECEC services. The updated mandatory standards set out requirements for the design, construction, and warning labels on infant sleep products and inclined non-sleep products.

Approximately 40 Victorian educators have had their Working with Children Checks revoked despite previously being banned from early childhood settings. 

Education Ministers have made safeguarding practices a national priority. As part of this, they’ve asked ACECQA to conduct a rapid assessment of how educator-to-child ratios are being applied in practice under the National Quality Framework.

In a moment of reckoning for one of the nation’s largest early childhood education providers, Tim Hickey, CEO of Affinity Education Group, has publicly apologised for a series of safety breaches across the organisation’s centres. His statement was delivered during a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry examining systemic issues in childcare safety and regulation.

In a landmark move toward equity and empowerment, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) services are expanding across New South Wales, offering families more choice, more places, and more opportunities for culturally grounded early childhood education.

In a bold move toward future-proofing early learning environments, a Brisbane early learning centre has become one of the first in Queensland to introduce AI-powered security systems, marking a significant leap in how childcare services protect children, staff, and families.

Early childhood education services across Victoria have been significantly disrupted as educators stage a widespread strike on Tuesday, 16th September. The industrial action follows a prolonged 15-month negotiation period during which the Victorian state government has failed to present a pay offer to educators.