Child safety review: Key developments of 2025

Significant progress has been made on the national child safety review in 2025, with further developments to come. 

Later in the year early childhood education and care (ECEC) services can expect: 

New sector guidance

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) will release important new guidance materials including:

• National Quality Framework (NQF) child safe culture guide—embedding child-safe cultures in education and care services
• NQF online safety guide—embedding child safe online environments in education and care services.

Consultation on regulatory and non-regulatory change options

Changes that include regulatory and non-regulatory approaches such as training or education are on the horizon with policy options about:

• service waivers for the design of premises to facilitate supervision of children
• assessment of family day care residences
• powers of entry to family day care residences
• working with children checks
• inappropriate conduct including by individuals
• child safety training
• management of devices
• enforcement options
• information sharing.

Public consultation

All stakeholders—including providers, educators, staff, volunteers and families—will have the opportunity to provide feedback and share their insights when the Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement (CRIS) is released in late April 2025.

Regulatory changes

From 1 September 2025, these important regulatory changes will come into effect including:

• a new requirement for services to have policies and procedures relating to the safe use of digital technologies (including the use of CCTV)
• reduction in notification timeframes for reporting incidents or allegations of physical or sexual abuse from 7 days to 24 hours
• service environments to be free from vaping.

Ongoing collaboration for child safety

Australian governments will continue to work closely with the sector to implement stronger safeguards for child safety, ensuring better support for early childhood providers, teachers and educators.

This collaboration is essential to ensure the sector is equipped to protect children in every early childhood setting.

Child safety is everyone’s responsibility.

For more information, visit the ACECQA website