Fraud Awareness Week: Simple steps to safeguard your service

This Fraud Awareness Week, early childhood education and care (ECEC) professionals are reminded of the important role they play in preventing and detecting fraud, protecting families, maintaining sector integrity, and safeguarding public investment in early learning.

Fraudulent activity within the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) system undermines community confidence and diverts vital resources from the children and families who need them most. As a service provider, educator or centre manager, taking proactive steps to ensure compliance and transparency is essential.

Here are three practical actions your service can take this week:

Check your compliance

Regularly review your obligations under the Family Assistance Law and ensure your service is meeting all legislative and regulatory requirements. Accurate record keeping, enrolment reporting, and attendance verification are foundational to maintaining integrity.

Complete the Fraud Awareness Course

Available via Geccko, this short online course helps ECEC professionals understand how to prevent, detect and report suspected fraud. It provides real-world examples and clear, practical guidance, ideal for individual staff or team-wide training initiatives.

Report suspected fraud

If you suspect fraudulent behaviour, report it using the CCS fraud tip-off form. The form is anonymous and only takes a few minutes to complete. Every report helps protect the integrity of the CCS system and supports fair access to early learning for all families.

Learn more about identifying and reporting CCS fraud via the Department of Education website.