National child safety training is now mandatory for everybody working or volunteering in an ECEC service regulated under the NQF. Foundation training is the first stage of national child safety training and is available now. Foundation training is mandatory for any person who works or volunteers in an ECEC service regulated under the NQF.
Who Needs To Complete Foundation Training
Foundation training is mandatory for any person who works or volunteers in an ECEC service regulated under the NQF. This includes:
- the approved provider of the service
- each person with management or control of the service
- each nominated supervisor of the service
- each person in day-to-day charge of the service
- each Family Day Care educator employed or engaged by the service
- each staff member of the service
- each volunteer at the service
- each student who participates in the service.
Training Structure and Duration
Foundation training consists of 2 courses:
- understanding child safety
- understanding and identifying child abuse and neglect.
You must complete both courses to complete foundation training. It is estimated to take approximately 2 hours to complete, although this will vary from learner to learner.
When To Complete Foundation Training
All existing staff must complete foundation training by 27 August 2026. Staff entering the sector from 14 August 2026 must complete foundation training by whichever occurs earlier:
- 27 August 2026, or
- 14 days from when they are employed by the service, or
- before they work directly with children.
Ongoing, staff must complete foundation training once every two years.
How To Access Foundation Training
You can access foundation training by logging in to Geccko and selecting national child safety training from the homepage.
Training must be completed in Geccko, the Australian Government’s official training platform for the sector. Child safety training delivered through other platforms or providers does not meet the mandatory requirement.
Evidence Of Completion
After completing both courses of foundation training, you can download a completion certificate from Geccko. Providers should ask staff to share their certificate as evidence of completion. Each certificate includes a unique certificate number.
Companion Materials
National child safety training is accompanied by companion materials in a range of downloadable formats, like videos, booklets, and information sheets. These materials are designed to help services develop on-the-ground Communities of Practice material. They are not part of the mandatory training requirement.
Access the companion materials on the ACCP website.
The training has been developed by the Australian Centre for Child Protection (ACCP) in partnership with the Queensland Government, on behalf of all Australian states and territories and the Australian Government. The training is free, and providers can access support to help staff to complete it.
This is a National Child Safety Reform initiative. All Education Ministers agreed to new mandatory national child safety training.
References:
