ACECQA updates child safety resources as national reforms continue across the ECEC sector

As child safety reforms continue to roll out across Australia's early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector, the Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has updated its guidance and resources to help approved providers and services strengthen child-safe practices, governance and regulatory compliance.

Child safety remains a central focus of reforms to the National Quality Framework (NQF), with governments across Australia continuing to strengthen legislative requirements, regulatory oversight and expectations of approved providers.

To support the sector through these ongoing changes, ACECQA has refreshed its child safety information and brought together a range of guidance materials and practical resources in a dedicated online hub.

The updated information is designed to help services understand current child safety expectations, strengthen organisational capability and embed child-safe cultures across all aspects of service delivery.

Rather than introducing a single new requirement, the latest ACECQA update reflects the continued implementation of child safety reforms occurring nationally throughout 2026.

The resources bring together guidance on a range of child safety initiatives, helping approved providers, nominated supervisors and educators understand their responsibilities and access practical support as reforms continue to be introduced.

The resource collection includes updated information on:

• child safety reforms under the National Quality Framework
• governance and leadership responsibilities
• child-safe practices and organisational culture
• reporting obligations and regulatory requirements
• practical tools and guidance to support implementation.

Child safety remains everyone's responsibility

The reforms reinforce that creating child-safe organisations extends well beyond compliance.

Strong governance, effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement all contribute to environments where children's rights, safety and wellbeing are prioritised every day.

For approved providers, this includes ensuring policies and procedures remain current, educators understand their responsibilities, and systems are in place to identify, respond to and learn from child safety concerns.

The updated guidance also reinforces the importance of transparent communication with families and maintaining clear reporting pathways when concerns arise.

Among the refreshed materials are updated information sheets, guidance documents and practical resources designed to support services in embedding child-safe practices across daily operations.

The resources cover topics including:

• recognising and responding to inappropriate conduct
• strengthening child-safe governance
• reviewing policies and procedures
• documenting and reporting concerns
• supporting continuous improvement.

By consolidating these materials into one location, ACECQA aims to make it easier for providers and service leaders to locate current guidance as reforms continue to evolve.

With child safety expectations continuing to develop, now is an opportunity for services to review their existing systems and practices.

Areas to consider include:

• reviewing child safety and child protection policies
• ensuring governance arrangements clearly support child-safe practices
• providing ongoing professional learning for educators and leaders
• reviewing reporting and documentation processes
• strengthening communication with families
• monitoring regulatory updates as further reforms are implemented.

These activities not only support regulatory compliance but also contribute to a culture where children's safety and wellbeing remain at the centre of decision-making.

Child safety reforms will continue to progress throughout 2026, with ACECQA updating its resources as new information becomes available.

Approved providers, nominated supervisors and educators are encouraged to regularly access ACECQA's child safety reform and resource updates page for the latest guidance, resources and implementation information.

As reforms continue to evolve, keeping policies, procedures and workforce knowledge up to date will remain an important part of maintaining safe, high-quality learning environments for every child.