Child safety depends on listening to early childhood professionals: national summit agrees key demands

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Feb 23, 2026

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An Early Childhood Education Summit held at the University of Sydney and online on Saturday 21 February 2026 has endorsed a statement of ten reform demands aimed at strengthening child safety and structural oversight in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector.

The Summit brought together more than 1,400 educators, teachers, academics and union representatives. It was attended by Greens NSW MLC Abigail Boyd and included representatives from the Australian Education Union (AEU), Independent Education Union (IEU), United Services Union (USU) and United Workers Union (UWU).

The forum was convened in response to what organisers described as ongoing concerns about the direction of state and federal reforms, with participants arguing that recent legislative responses have not addressed systemic risk factors within the sector.

The statement endorsed at the Summit outlines ten key areas identified by participants as impacting child safety.

These include:

the role of corporate and private equity ownership in the sector
resourcing and reform of the National Quality Framework
child-to-educator ratios and group size regulation
inclusion funding models
workforce preparation and professional development
wages and working conditions
workforce diversity
establishment of an independent national Early Childhood Education Commission
improved financial transparency
strengthening partnerships with families

Participants argued that structural cost pressures and funding settings have contributed to conditions that undermine safety and quality.

Greens NSW MLC Abigail Boyd, who chaired the Inquiry into the Early Childhood Education and Care Sector in NSW, attended the Summit and endorsed the reform statement.

In remarks provided following the event, Ms Boyd said frontline professionals had raised concerns about sector direction for several years and called for governments to engage directly with educators in shaping reform.

Union representatives indicated that the endorsed demands would be taken to state and federal governments as part of broader advocacy efforts.

Several of the endorsed proposals relate directly to existing regulatory architecture under the National Quality Framework, including ratio settings, regulatory resourcing and oversight mechanisms.

The proposal to establish an independent national Early Childhood Education Commission reflects ongoing debate about whether current regulatory arrangements adequately balance market settings with public accountability.

The Summit’s statement also links workforce conditions, including pay parity and educator wellbeing, to child safety outcomes, reinforcing arguments that safety and quality cannot be separated from workforce sustainability.

Organisers have indicated the reform statement will inform future campaigns and engagement with policymakers.

The Summit reflects growing sector-wide debate about system design, funding structures and governance oversight in early childhood education and care.

As governments continue to progress regulatory reform, including strengthened compliance measures and reporting obligations, calls for broader structural change are likely to remain part of the national policy conversation.

Source: Early Childhood Education Summit, media release and Statement of Demands endorsed 21 February 2026.

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