Centacare Administration Services fined $20,000 after child leaves OSHC service unsupervised

The Corporation of the Trustees of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane, Centacare Administration Services has been fined $20,000 after a six-year-old child left a St Peter’s Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) service unsupervised and was later located on a school bus at the end of its route.

According to the Queensland Department of Education, the child had been signed into care before leaving the premises unnoticed and boarding a school bus. The service did not become aware the child was missing until the child’s mother arrived for collection.

The Queensland Early Childhood Regulatory Authority prosecuted the approved provider following its investigation into the incident, which occurred on 27 October 2023.

Centacare Administration Services pleaded guilty to four offences under the Education and Care Services National Law and National Regulations:

• Section 165(1) – inadequate supervision
• Section 167(1) – failure to protect children from harm and hazards
• Regulation 99(1) – child leaving the service premises
• Regulation 170(1) – failure to follow policies and procedures

In sentencing on 15 April 2026, Acting Magistrate Raelene Ellis considered a number of aggravating factors, including the child’s age, the significant period of time the child was unsupervised, the distance travelled, and deficiencies in staff induction and training.

The child’s known developmental needs were also taken into account.

The Magistrate acknowledged the provider’s early guilty plea and corrective actions taken following the incident. No conviction was recorded.

The Department said the prosecution sends a strong reminder to approved providers of their overriding responsibility to ensure children are adequately supervised and protected from harm.

It also noted ongoing concern about incidents involving children leaving education and care premises unattended, encouraging services to regularly review the systems and controls designed to prevent such occurrences.

The matter adds to a growing body of enforcement action across Queensland focused on supervision, risk management, workforce capability and adherence to operational policies, areas that remain under heightened scrutiny nationally.

For approved providers and service leaders, the case reinforces the importance of:

• active supervision and visibility of children at all times
• accurate roll marking and transition checks
• perimeter security and exit-point controls
• robust induction for new, casual and relief staff
• understanding and planning for children with additional support needs
• ensuring policies and procedures are consistently embedded in daily practice

As regulatory attention intensifies nationally, supervision failures continue to be viewed not simply as operational lapses, but as governance and child safety risks requiring strong leadership oversight.

Read the full announcement from the Queensland Department of Education Early Childhood Regulatory Authority here.