Victoria has passed historic new laws that now require religious and spiritual leaders in Victoria to legally report child abuse to the authorities, even if it was heard in the confessional.

In July 2019, The Sector covered a recall of two popular inclined sleep products for babies, which were called back following the sad death of 73 infants whose heads fell forward into a chin to chest position, leading to suffocation from the compression of their airways.

The Australian Government Department of Social Services recently made two significant announcements of note for the broader early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector, relating to Families and Children Activity program extensions, and important changes occuring effective 1 July 2020.

Recent updates from the Western Australian Regulatory Authority have highlighted the importance of services promptly responding to compliance notices, with two services failing to comply with notices in line with the specified deadline.

Never has it been more important for early childhood educators to be aware of their obligation to safeguard children from abuse and neglect. As well as the impact on the child from poor awareness of warning signs, and poor responses, failing to spot the signs of abuse and neglect and respond accordingly can have serious consequences for staff involved, and for the approved provider responsible for the service.