National child safety consultation survey now open

Public consultation is now open on the next stage of national child safety reforms, with stakeholders invited to provide feedback until 5pm AEST on Tuesday 28 April 2026.

Education Ministers have agreed to progress a new tranche of reforms, with the consultation designed to inform how these measures are implemented and aligned across jurisdictions.

While some states and territories, including New South Wales, have already introduced elements of these reforms, the national process seeks to support a more consistent, sector-wide approach to child safety.

The ECEC sector plays a central role in safeguarding children, and practitioner insight is critical to ensuring reforms are practical and effective in service settings.

Feedback from providers, educators, centre managers and other stakeholders will help governments understand:

• how reforms are operating in jurisdictions where they have already been introduced
• what supports services require to implement new measures
• how national consistency can be achieved without increasing administrative burden
• where additional guidance or system-level changes may be needed

Sector input will inform national decision-making and the next phase of child safety reform.

The consultation seeks feedback on several areas relevant to daily practice, governance and regulatory oversight:

• supervision practices
• transparency for families
• Persons with Management or Control (PMC) fitness and propriety requirements
• suspension, supervision and training directions, including information-sharing provisions
• whistleblower protections
• quality rating updates for approved providers during or following investigations
• fencing requirements

These areas reflect a national focus on strengthening accountability, improving safety culture and supporting family confidence in early learning environments.

A national survey has been released to gather feedback from the ECEC workforce and broader community. The survey takes approximately 20–30 minutes to complete.

Stakeholders can access the Child Safety Reform Consultation 2026 survey here.
 

For further information, enquiries can be directed to [email protected]

This consultation represents an opportunity for the sector to contribute to a more consistent and robust national child safety framework.

Participation will help ensure reforms are evidence-informed, practical to implement and aligned with the operational realities of ECEC services.