Strengthening child safety capability in Queensland: what the RECS program means for early childhood services

Queensland’s Reforming Early Childhood Safety (RECS) Program signals a significant shift in how services build child-safe cultures, governance and workforce capability across the early childhood education and care sector.

The Queensland Government launched the Reforming Early Childhood Safety (RECS) Program, a targeted initiative designed to support services to understand and implement national child safety reforms.

Delivered in partnership with the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), the program represents a strategic investment in sector capability, with a particular focus on services in remote communities and smaller providers that may face barriers to accessing training and resources.

The RECS Program is structured around two key priorities: strengthening sector understanding of child safety reforms and supporting practical implementation at the service level.

The national reforms require stronger governance, clearer accountability and embedded child-safe cultures. The RECS Program supports services to:

• understand what the reforms require in practice
• build knowledge of child safety principles
• support leaders to embed child-safe decision-making
• establish shared language and expectations across teams

The program emphasises applied learning, providing tools and resources that can be integrated into daily practice, including:

• templates and guidance aligned to regulatory expectations
• tailored resources for different service contexts
• capability-building materials for educators and leaders
• strategies to embed child safety into governance, operations and culture

Resources are developed in collaboration with ACECQA, supporting national consistency and alignment with the National Quality Framework (NQF).

The RECS Program is designed to reach services where additional support can have the greatest impact, including:

• educators working in targeted Queensland regulated services
• services in remote and regional communities
• small providers with limited internal capacity

Importantly, the program is offered at no cost, reducing financial barriers and supporting broad participation across the sector.

The national child safety reforms represent a significant evolution in expectations for the ECEC sector. Services are required to demonstrate:

• stronger governance and oversight
• clear risk management and reporting processes
• cultures that prioritise children’s rights, voices and safety
• transparent and accountable decision-making
• workforce capability aligned to child-safe practice

For many services, particularly those operating with constrained resources, these requirements can be complex to implement. The RECS Program provides structured, accessible support to build both confidence and capability.

Services can begin strengthening their approach to child safety by:

• reviewing child safety policies and governance arrangements
• assessing workforce capability and identifying training needs
• strengthening reporting, documentation and risk management processes
• embedding child-safe language and expectations into daily practice
• engaging families and communities in conversations about safety and children’s rights

ACECQA’s child safety resources can also support ongoing capability development alongside participation in the RECS Program.

For approved providers, nominated supervisors and governance teams, the RECS Program offers an opportunity to:

• benchmark current practice against national expectations
• strengthen organisational culture and accountability
• build a more confident and capable workforce
• reduce risk through proactive compliance
• demonstrate leadership in child safety and continuous improvement

The RECS Program represents more than a professional learning initiative. It is a coordinated effort to strengthen the sector’s capacity to meet evolving child safety expectations and to embed practices that protect and uphold children’s rights.

By supporting services to translate reform into practice, the program contributes to a safer, more accountable early childhood system where every child is supported to feel secure, respected and able to thrive.

Access the Reforming Early Childhood Safety (RECS) Program here.