UNICEF Australia comments on childcare safety announcements by Education Ministers

UNICEF Australia commends the commitment of Education Ministers today putting children first, and for the range of measures agreed to protect children in childcare settings. A national register of workers, mandatory child safety training, funding for monitoring and regulation, and mobile phone bans are important steps to strengthen safety protocols.

Child protection is not achieved by one measure alone. Child safety must be the priority permeating every aspect of the childcare sector for any measure to be effective.
To ensure these reforms deliver lasting impact, they must be supported by broader structural changes including:

A National Early Years Commission
A dedicated body to monitor child safety across all early childhood education and care services in Australia. This recommendation has been made by the Productivity Commission (2024), the recent Victorian childcare review, and is widely supported across the sector.
A nationally consistent regulatory framework
Unified standards across all states and territories for compliance, enforcement, and reporting will improve transparency and enable better data sharing between jurisdictions and regulatory agencies.
A national approach to Working with Children Checks
Consistent eligibility criteria, renewal periods, and disqualification thresholds are essential to ensure that all children are protected equally, regardless of where they live.

When it comes to children's safety, we must have the highest possible standards of protection - children cannot afford for us to cut corners or take easy options. Comprehensive and nationally consistent reforms are essential.

Commitments of funding from states are integral to improving safety, but every state must have the same methods of assessing suitability of candidates for a Working With Children Check and regulatory process. Safety is the right of every child, no matter where they live and every Australian family deserves the same confidence that their child will be safe in childcare.

UNICEF Australia will continue to work with the government to ensure these critical reforms are implemented to shape a system that is responsive and accountable to not only protecting children but enabling them to thrive.

Friday, 22 August 2025