List of recommendations

Recommendation 1

6.33The committee recommends that the Government prioritise the closer integration of law enforcement into current child safety reforms, to allow a more joined-up approach to child safety. Specifically, the committee recommends the government consider:

as a priority—closer integration of the WWCC register, the National Educator Register and police/regulator intelligence;

reforms to allow the use of facial recognition tools for the purpose of rapid victim identification by police in cases of child sexual assault, subject to appropriate legislative guardrails and oversight mechanisms commensurate with the sensitivity of the technology and the privacy interests engaged, and noting its status as an emerging technology;

establishing appropriate mechanisms, whether operational, structural or otherwise, to allow regular two-way feedback between police and regulators in relation to sub-threshold matters; and

establishing clear guidance on the preservation of CCTV footage and other records for evidentiary purposes in cases involving alleged child sexual abuse, including appropriate retention periods, access protocols, and safeguards to ensure that any such requirements do not result in the surveillance of children beyond what is necessary for child protection purposes.

Recommendation 2

6.34The committee recommends that the Australian Government refer to the Australian Law Reform Commission the question of whether existing sentencing frameworks for serious child sexual abuse offences adequately serve as a deterrent and protect children from individuals who pose an ongoing risk. The referral should consider whether current sentencing provisions, including for repeat offenders, are commensurate with the gravity of these offences, and what reforms may be appropriate to ensure that those who abuse, exploit or prey upon children do not remain a threat to child safety.

Recommendation 3

6.36The committee recommends that the Australian Government with the state and territory governments develop clear, consistent timeframes for regulators to respond to allegations of concerning behaviour and breaches of the National Law and regulations.

Recommendation 4

6.38The committee recommends that the Australian Government, in consultation with state and territory governments, consider expanding access to the National Early Childhood Worker Register to enable prospective employers to undertake appropriate pre-employment checks.

This should include consideration of mechanisms to allow employers to access relevant information relating to an individual’s regulatory history, including any prohibition notices, suspensions, or substantiated breaches of workplace health and safety or service-level policies, subject to appropriate privacy and procedural safeguards.

Recommendation 5

6.45The committee recommends that the Australian Government amend the Fair Work Act 2009 to ensure that employment settings appropriately reflect the safeguarding requirements of child-facing workplaces, including early childhood education and care, and protect employers who, in good faith and on reasonable grounds, take adverse employment action (including suspension, role reassignment, or termination) due to concerns about a worker’s potential risk to children.

Recommendation 6

6.46The committee recommends that the Australian Government review how national child safety training is delivered and assessed in early childhood education and care sector to ensure it drives genuine engagement with safeguarding.

This should include strengthening assessment requirements so that participants demonstrate a clear understanding of the material, and examining whether current settings adequately require engagement and robust evaluation, with ongoing monitoring incorporated into regular audit processes. The review should ensure the training functions as a real safeguard that builds capability and awareness, rather than a procedural exercise.

Recommendation 7

6.50The committee recommends that the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority, in consultation with relevant peak bodies, develop and implement guidelines for anaphylaxis prevention and management for children with allergies; and guidelines for the appropriate safety and care of children with type 1 diabetes.

Recommendation 8

6.52The committee recommends that, as part of its rapid review, the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority recommend that all jurisdictions amend their regulatory framework to:

Ensure the practice of active rather than passive supervision, to minimise opportunities for unsafe behaviours; and

Address the underlying operational and regulatory pressures that are contributing to reduced educator-to-child ratios during sleep and rest periods in early childhood education and care services.

Recommendation 9

6.53The committee recommends the Australian Government through Education Minister Meetings or through a request to ACECQA, increase the frequency of authorised officer spot check visits to early childhood education and care services, and ensure that authorised officers receive appropriate training, including in early childhood and care practice. To strengthen oversight, the policy should incorporate minimum targets, such as a minimum of four unannounced spot checks per year.The committee notes this may necessitate a resource commitment from states and territories.

Recommendation 10

6.58The committee recommends that the Australian Government publicly announce whether it intends to continue or cease the Worker Retention Payment as soon as possible to provide the early childhood education and care sector with certainty.

Recommendation 11

6.60The committee recommends that the Australian Government consider tax concessions for the cohort of the early childhood education and care workforce for Public Benevolent Institutions that is currently unable to access salary packaging concessions to encourage staff retention and reduce turnover.

Recommendation 12

6.63The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with the regulators of both vocational education and training and higher education to ensure high-quality educators and early learning teachers are entering the profession.

Recommendation 13

6.76The committee recommends that the Australian Government with the state and territory governments urgently commission an independent review of the National Quality Framework, focusing on how services are assessed against the National Quality Standard and how assessments can be made more accurate, transparent and consistent.

Recommendation 14

6.84The committee recommends that the Australian Government, as a matter of urgency:

Publish grant guidelines and confirm the application opening date for the professional development subsidy ahead of the commencement of mandatory national child safety training obligations for new staff on 14 August 2026;

Provide clear public guidance on the total funding available under the subsidy, the allocation methodology, and the treatment of training costs incurred by providers prior to the opening of applications;

Ensure that the subsidy administration process does not disadvantage providers (particularly small and medium operators and not-for-profit services,) who incur upfront training costs for new staff before applications open, and consider mechanisms to allow retrospective claims for eligible costs incurred from the commencement of mandatory training obligations; and

Review whether the subsidy adequately accounts for the full range of costs associated with mandatory compliance, including out-of-pocket expenses such as payments to casual staff completing training outside rostered hours, and the administrative burden placed on providers, particularly not-for-profit services, in managing grant applications and acquittals, recognising that for not-for-profit providers, unsubsidised compliance costs are borne directly by the communities and children they serve.

Recommendation 15

6.87The committee recommends that regulatory authorities provide clear, timely and actionable feedback to services following assessment and rating processes, to support continuous improvement and greater transparency.

Recommendation 16

6.88The committee recommends that the Australian Government, in consultation with state and territory governments, introduce regulatory mechanisms to prohibit early childhood education and care providers from expanding or establishing additional services where they are not consistently meeting the National Quality Standard across their existing services. In implementing this measure, governments should consider clear thresholds and criteria to ensure that expansion is contingent on demonstrated and sustained compliance with quality and safety requirements.

Recommendation 17

6.100The committee recommends that the Australian Government as a matter of urgency, review its support for children with additional needs, including the existing Inclusion Support Program and the impacts of the Thriving Kids program, with a view to providing funding certainty for families and early childhood education and care providers.

Recommendation 18

6.105The committee recommends that the Australian Government ensure that the Community Child Care Fund is sufficiently funded to meet existing demand for services in childcare deserts and consider models better suited to thin markets.

Recommendation 19

6.109The committee recommends that the Australian Government together with the state and territory governments discuss the matter of inflated rental fees and license fees, including those charged by public primary schools, for early childhood education and care services at a future Education Ministers Meeting and consider potential measures to address this issue.

Recommendation 20

6.127The committee recommends that future policy development includes, as a general principle, consultation with parents so that support for families considers flexibility and choice for parents, as well as early childhood development outcomes for children in their early years.

Recommendation 21

6.134The committee recommends that the Australian Government improve accessibility and clarity of information regarding the Child Care Subsidy, including through the development of a user-friendly calculator on Service Australia’s website to address the difficulties families experience in understanding their eligibility and entitlements.

Recommendation 22

6.137The committee recommends that the Australian Government, in consultation with state and territory governments, review educator-to-child ratio requirements in Outside School Hours Care to ensure they are calibrated to the developmental and supervision needs of school-aged children. The review should consider the differing needs of younger and older primary school-aged children, whether activity-based or age-differentiated staffing arrangements are appropriate across different Outside School Hours Care settings and transitions, and how ratio settings can maintain child safety while supporting the viability of services, particularly in regional, remote and smaller school communities.

Recommendation 23

6.138The committee recommends that the Australian Government, in consultation with state and territory governments, undertake a comprehensive review of the appropriateness of the National Quality Framework as it applies to Outside School Hours Care, with a view to developing a fit-for-purpose regulatory framework that reflects the distinct nature of school-aged care.