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.

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.

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.

A recent parliamentary hearing has revealed troubling details about a Newcastle childcare centre, raising serious concerns about regulatory transparency and child safety in New South Wales. The case has sparked renewed calls for reform in how compliance breaches are reported and addressed across the early childhood education sector.

The NSW Government is facing mounting pressure to overhaul compliance systems in early childhood education following disturbing allegations involving infants in care and financial misconduct by major providers.

Amid a surge in allegations of sexual offences within the childcare sector, NSW Police are urging parents to bypass childcare centre directors and report concerns directly to law enforcement. The warning comes as a parliamentary inquiry exposes serious lapses in child safety protocols across the industry.

A New South Wales parliamentary inquiry has revealed alarming gaps in the childcare sector’s ability to detect and prevent child abuse, with NSW Police warning that some offenders are deliberately “shopping around” for centres with weak safeguards.