CCTV cameras might soon be mandatory in all childcare centres. Photo: oatintro.
Childcare centres across Australia would be subject to spot checks over fraud and child safety, under urgent new laws the Federal Government will introduce once parliament resumes this month.
The measure (which is already being tagged by some as “kindy cops”) will empower federal officers under the Family Assistance Law to conduct unannounced inspections of early childhood education facilities to check who is there and monitor adherence to safety regulations and the protection of children in their care.
Currently, federal officers require warrants and/or the Australian Federal Police to be with them in order to conduct such inspections.
But the Federal Government is moving quickly to beef up the law and clamp down on irresponsible childcare providers, in light of the latest alleged instances of child abuse in a Victorian centre.
While the proposed new inspection powers will be made under the umbrella of fraud checks, authorities will be able to note what child safety measures are in place.
Having mandatory CCTV cameras installed in childcare centres is also likely to be introduced in the new legislation.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has vented his frustration during numerous media interviews this week, saying he is fast-tracking legislation to be ready for parliament’s first sitting fortnight from 22 July.
“This is serious; it’s sickening. People want to turn away from this and turn off their TVs, but you can’t,” he told ABC’s 7.30 on Thursday (3 July).
“It requires serious action. I’ve been pretty blunt about this today and yesterday. We’re taking action, but not enough action has happened and not fast enough.”
Friday morning, the minister gave more details about the plans for spot checks and the CCTV cameras.
“One of the things that having a CCTV camera in a childcare centre can do is if there’s someone that’s potentially up to no good, they know the cameras are there,” he told Sky News.
“That means it’s less likely, then, that they’re going to act.”
On the spot check, the focus will be on those providers suspected of fraud.
The visits would be to check that a child is in the care of a centre for the amount of time and on the particular days a provider says they are and for which they are being funded.
The strengthened laws would give officers from the Education Department who investigate fraud in childcare centres the ability to do spot checks through unannounced visits.
“They won’t need a warrant,” Mr Clare said.
“They won’t need the police to come with them when they’re investigating fraud in childcare centres …
“This will give powers to my department and my investigators to go in and check if the child is actually there.”
As already reported, under the new legislation childcare providers who do not follow safety regulations will be stripped of their federal funding.
The Opposition is on board with the plan, with a number of senior Coalition shadow ministers saying this week they support strong action.
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie said she would back the “kindy cop” approach and anything else that would make children safer.
“I think what we’ve seen from these horrific reports this week is that the system is failing our children, and failing our parents in a very, very significant and terrible way,” she said.
“So it’s one thing to have all the great framework, standards, principles, rules and procedures in place.
“It’s another thing to actually enforce those.”
State and territory governments are also scrambling to act, with Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan ordering an urgent review into child care.
In the ACT, territory Education Minister Yvette Berry said the ACT Government was committed to working with the Commonwealth to ensure child safety was a priority.
“The safety and wellbeing of children, staff and families in the early childhood education and care sector should be an absolute priority,” she said.
“I am shocked and horrified to hear of allegations of alleged sexual offences by an educator in Melbourne this week.
“Last week, ministers agreed to immediate further actions, including significantly increasing penalties where providers are non-compliant with national law, improving and enhancing information provided to parents; increased information sharing, oversight and regulatory action, especially for providers who operate across jurisdictions; and enhance fitness and propriety testing, and regulatory practice to increase scrutiny on persons with management or control, which includes the use of targeted online testing.
“Ministers also noted progress working towards strengthening safety and quality in early childhood education and care, including reducing the timeframe for reporting abuse from seven days to 24 hours, restricting the use of personal devices in early childhood services, and restricting Child Care Subsidy funding going to operators that fail to meet minimum standards.
“Children’s safety needs to come first, and I’m committed to working both here in the ACT and nationally to ensure that children’s safety is a priority.”
Original Article published by Chris Johnson on Region Canberra.
