Reminder for early childhood services: preparing for new digital device safety standards

As champions of child safety, it is crucial for early childhood education and care services to stay updated on the latest regulations. This is a reminder that from February 27, 2026, significant changes to the Education and Care Services National Law and National Regulations will come into effect.

These upcoming amendments aim to strengthen protections for children across Australia by strictly limiting the use of personal digital devices in education and care settings. Additionally, the new rules will limit how images of children can be captured, stored, and transmitted.

Reminder: Know Your Device Definitions 

To prepare for the 2026 rollout, providers and educators should familiarise themselves with how the new regulations categorize digital devices:

• Personal Devices: Devices owned by an individual, such as phones, smartwatches, cameras, and tablets, that are not supplied by the approved provider.

• Service-Supplied Devices: Devices owned or supplied directly by the approved provider that are to be used exclusively for providing education and care.

• Service-Authorised Devices: Specifically for family day care services, these are devices authorised by the provider to be used exclusively for education and care. These devices must not be used for personal purposes.

Reminder: Check Your Policies and Procedures 

Approved providers must ensure they have policies and procedures in place regarding digital technologies and online environments that explicitly cover the safe use of digital devices.

These new mandatory requirements build directly upon the child-safe practices introduced in the National Model Code for Taking Images in Early Childhood Education and Care. While the National Model Code was originally developed and encouraged for centre-based services (like kindergartens, preschools, and long day care), its core safety principles are applicable to any children’s education and care service.

You do not need to navigate these transitions alone. There are several communication support resources available to help you inform your staff and the families you serve. You can utilise the National Model Code video, social media content, and display posters, such as the "Our service follows the National Model Code" poster, to clearly communicate your commitment to device safety.

Take the time now to review your service's current digital device practices and policies to ensure a smooth transition ahead of the deadline.

For more information visit the ACECQA Frequently Asked Questions or read the news article.