Sector responds to new child safety training closures: Clarity welcomed, challenges raised

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers have welcomed national reforms aimed at strengthening child safety through mandated staff training, but concerns remain about implementation and communication ahead of 2026.

Under new measures introduced by the Australian Government, Child Care Subsidy (CCS)-approved services will be permitted to close up to five times per year for up to five hours on each occasion to allow staff to complete mandatory child safety training. Crucially, services may continue to claim CCS during these periods, helping to mitigate financial impact.

While the move has been broadly welcomed as a long-overdue recognition of the importance of child safety and professional learning, sector leaders have raised questions around operational complexity, parent communication, and equity for smaller or regional providers.

The Department of Education states that the training must be delivered before 5pm to minimise disruption to families, and that closures will be voluntary and flexible. However, ECEC providers have sought further clarification around scheduling, reporting obligations, and whether face-to-face or online training will be required.

The training itself has been developed by the Australian Centre for Child Protection and forms part of broader safety reforms including the introduction of a national ECEC workforce register and CCTV trials in services.

A number of peak bodies and large providers have publicly supported the initiative. 

Centre managers and approved providers have highlighted the challenge of balancing staff training with uninterrupted service delivery, particularly for long day care models.

“While we welcome a nationally consistent approach to child safety, organising multiple closures each year while maintaining quality care and meeting family needs will require significant planning,” one provider said.

Some operators are considering holding training sessions after hours or on weekends to avoid disruption, but this raises further issues around educator workload, overtime pay and staff wellbeing.

Families seeking clear communication

Feedback from parent groups suggests that most families support child safety training in principle, but want timely, clear communication about any planned closures. Service providers are being encouraged to inform families well in advance and ensure continuity of care arrangements are explained.

“Parents understand the importance of training, but they need predictability,” said a sector advocate. “With enough notice and transparency, most families can make it work.”

The government has encouraged providers to factor closure days into their broader planning cycle and consider how best to meet the needs of their community while fulfilling regulatory obligations.

Implementation pressures and equity concerns

There are growing calls for the Department to offer additional support to smaller services, including those in rural or remote areas, where staffing flexibility is limited and relief educators may be difficult to access.

“Without targeted support, there’s a risk that some providers will struggle to meet the requirements,” said an early childhood consultant. “The sector wants to do the right thing but capacity varies widely.”

Stakeholders have also called for greater clarity on compliance expectations. If services are unable to deliver the training or cannot close without undue disruption, will exemptions apply? How will closures be recorded or audited? These details remain under discussion.

A step forward, with more work to do

While the reforms represent a strong step towards a nationally consistent approach to child safety, providers are urging the government to work closely with the sector to ensure that training requirements are realistic, clearly communicated and adequately resourced.

The Department has confirmed that services may choose to deliver the training outside the permitted closure periods using employer-funded professional development time, offering some flexibility.

In the coming months, services are encouraged to:

• Begin planning and scheduling potential closure days for 2026
• Communicate early with families about what the changes mean
• Update policies and procedures to reflect new child safety training requirements
• Monitor government channels for further details and resources

As further guidance is released, Sector Publishing will continue to provide updates and analysis.

For more information on the reforms, visit the Department of Education website: education.gov.au/early-childhood/about/quality-and-safety/service-closures-mandatory-child-safety-training