Two Parliamentary Inquiries: one clear message 

Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry confirms need for accredited training and national safeguards for children with type 1 diabetes in early childhood education and care 

The National Type 1 Diabetes Council, Australian Paediatric Society and Type 1 Foundation welcome the findings and recommendations of the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. 

The Final Report of the Select Committee on the Early Childhood Education and Care Sector in Victoria,  tabled on 8 September 2026, identified an “absence of robust educator training” for children with medical  conditions, despite ECEC employees increasingly being required to implement medical management  plans, administer medication and provide complex and time-critical care. 

The Inquiry recognised serious gaps in the workforce capability, training, guidance and governance  required to safely support children with type 1 diabetes and recommended the introduction of accredited  training pathways and a framework for managing medical conditions, together with consistent guidelines for the safety and care of children with type 1 diabetes. 

The report records evidence from the National Type 1 Diabetes Council that the ECEC sector is not  equipped to appropriately manage children with complex medical conditions and that the absence of  formal training and accredited qualifications creates a significant child safety risk. 

The Inquiry also reproduced evidence from the Australian Paediatric Society that “Governments  should not expect educators to undertake dangerous clinical tasks without recognised training, competency assessment, lawful authorisation pathways and appropriate regulatory safeguards.” 

The National Type 1 Diabetes Council, Australian Paediatric Society and Type 1 Foundation said the  Inquiry's findings and recommendations represent an important turning point for children with type 1  diabetes, families, employees, and ECEC providers, who have for too long been expected to navigate an  environment without the appropriate systems for training, guidance and governance. 

Victorian Parliament recommends accredited training pathways 

The Victorian Parliamentary Committee has recommended reforms that closely reflect those advocated  for and put before the Inquiry by the National Type 1 Diabetes Council, Australian Paediatric Society and  Type 1 Foundation.  

Recommendations 17 and 18 call for: 

• accredited training pathways and a framework for managing medical conditions,  specifically including type 1 diabetes; and 

• guidelines for the appropriate safety and care of children with type 1 diabetes. 

The National Type 1 Diabetes Council, Australian Paediatric Society and Type 1 Foundation strongly  support Recommendations 17 and 18 and urge the Victorian Government to accept and urgently  progress them in the interests of children, families, ECEC employees, and providers. 

These reforms are critical to establishing sector compliance, workforce capability and a governance  framework that enables children with type 1 diabetes to participate safely and equitably in ECEC.

Two Parliamentary Inquiries – one clear message 

The Victorian Parliament's findings are consistent with, and build directly on, the findings of the Australian Senate Education and Employment References Committee Inquiry into the Quality and  Safety of Australia's Early Childhood Education and Care System, which reported on 31 March  2026. 

The Australian Senate Inquiry identified the “absence of an accredited training pathway enabling educators to safely undertake the time-critical tasks required to support children with type 1  diabetes” and recommended the development and implementation of national guidance. 

The Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry has now built on that work and taken the next step by recommending  the introduction accredited training pathways and a framework for managing type 1 diabetes. 

The alignment between the two Parliamentary Inquiries provides a clear mandate for action. 

In a joint statement, the National Type 1 Diabetes Council, Australian Paediatric Society and Type 1  Foundation said: 

“Within six months, Parliamentary Inquiries at both the Commonwealth and Victorian levels have recognised  the same fundamental safety and workforce capability gap for children with type 1 diabetes in early  childhood education and care.” 

“The Senate Inquiry acknowledged the absence of an accredited training pathway and called for national  guidance. The Victorian Inquiry has now built on that work by recommending accredited training pathways  and a framework for managing medical conditions, together with appropriate guidance for children with type  1 diabetes.” 

“This is not about asking educators to become clinicians. It is about ensuring that when employees are  required to undertake time-critical and potentially high-risk healthcare tasks as part of their employment,  they have the appropriate accredited training, qualifications, authorisation, guidance and governance to do  so safely.” 

“Governments now have consistent Parliamentary findings and a clear pathway for reform to address this  longstanding problem for children with type 1 diabetes, their families, education employees and providers. The priority must now be to implement these recommendations and establish the safeguards and reliable  advice the sector needs” 

“The National Type 1 Diabetes Council, Australian Paediatric Society and Type 1 Foundation have led the  evidence gathering, engagement, policy development and parliamentary advocacy aimed at addressing the  systemic safety and compliance gaps affecting children with type 1 diabetes and the employees and  organisations responsible for their care. We are committed to working constructively with government,  stakeholders, and families to address the longstanding deficiencies affecting children with type 1 diabetes.” 

Read the full report here.