Queensland says it has spearheaded childcare safety reform around the nation. Photo: Wo Sunan.
In response to a string of high-profile incidents at childcare centres, the Crisafulli Government in Queensland is moving to better protect youngsters.
The government has endorsed a comprehensive range of national safety reforms aimed at protecting children, in addition to reaffirming its commitment to the rights of children by improving safety, quality and workforce capacity in the early childhood education and care sectors.
Speaking at a meeting of state and Territory education ministers, Queensland’s Minister for Education John-Paul Langbroek said the reforms were the result of public consultation and would seek to address areas of concern for parents and the community, such as child safety, digital device use, staff conduct and mandatory child safety training.
“Queensland welcomes the additional agreed national actions to further strengthen child safety and quality, including a CCTV assessment and National Early Childhood Educator register,” Mr Langbroek said.
“Queensland has proudly spearheaded the push for a national register and these reforms reflect our commitment to making Queensland a leader in child safety across all early childhood settings.”
Additional support from the Queensland Government includes:
- $12.7 million over four years towards an additional 29 full-time early childhood regulatory officers, who will focus on compliance and enforcement activities;
- A $3.7 million boost to continue delivering protective behaviours education to keep families and children safe across the state;
- $20 million for the state’s early childhood workforce strategy to address issues in attracting, developing and retaining a highly skilled workforce in the sector;
- Partnering with bodies such as the Australian Centre for Child Protection to develop the country’s first formal child safety training package covering all early childhood staff.
The Queensland Government is also creating a child protection framework with the Queensland Commission of Inquiry, a Blue Card Review and a fast-tracking system for a Reportable Conduct Scheme to begin in July 2026.
In addition, the government is expanding funding for services to access vital education and support, giving educators the skills to prioritise child safety in partnership with the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) and Autism Queensland.
“The Crisafulli Government has brought forward the implementation of the Reportable Conduct Scheme in the early childhood sector from 2027 to 2026, fast-tracking new requirements for early childhood services to investigate and report suspicious conduct to deliver stronger protections for Queensland children,” Mr Langbroek said.
