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NSW Government launches sweeping reforms to improve safety and transparency in early learning
Fiona Alston
Jun 30, 2025
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The New South Wales Government has announced a landmark package of reforms aimed at rebuilding trust, increasing transparency, and strengthening regulatory oversight in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector.
In response to a rise in safety breaches during 2024 and a comprehensive independent review, the NSW Government will move immediately to amend legislation, increase penalties for non-compliance, and publish more detailed information about provider performance.The reforms are guided by recommendations from a report by former NSW Deputy Ombudsman Chris Wheeler, commissioned earlier this year by Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car. The review highlighted systemic limitations within the current regulatory framework and called for urgent action.
The government's reform package includes:
- An independent regulator: A new standalone early childhood regulatory body will be established, independent of the NSW Department of Education, with a direct reporting line to the Minister and enhanced powers to act on non-compliance.
- Mandatory transparency: Providers under investigation for significant breaches of the National Law will be required to notify families, and the Regulatory Authority will be directed to publish relevant service quality and safety information to help parents make informed choices.
- National Law amendments: NSW will propose amendments to the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) to increase penalties and enshrine child safety as the law’s “paramount consideration.”
- CCTV trials: The Regulatory Authority will be empowered to require installation of CCTV cameras in services where safety concerns have been identified, enabling better oversight and support for investigations.
These reforms come in the wake of disturbing incidents within the sector.
Courtney Houssos, Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning, emphasised the necessity of these reforms:
“Parents deserve to know that when they leave their children at an early learning centre or preschool, their child will be cared for, respected and nurtured,” said Ms Houssos. “When educators or operators break the rules and violate that trust, the public has a right to know.”
The reforms are part of the state’s broader strategy to rebuild essential services, which also includes the delivery of 100 new public preschools by 2027 doubling the number of free, public early learning settings across NSW.
NSW will share the Wheeler Report with other states and territories at the Education Ministers Meeting in Adelaide and contribute to a forthcoming parliamentary inquiry into the state’s ECEC sector.
“This is just the beginning,” Ms. Houssos said. “NSW is not waiting, we are acting now to prioritise child safety and ensure our regulatory systems work for families, not just providers.”
Read the full media release here.
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