SNAICC urges governments to prioritise safety of all children in Early Education Reform – SNAICC in the News

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children has this week urged the Federal Government to ensure that proposed reform to the Early Childhood Education and Care system goes beyond a reactive response and instead delivers comprehensive, systemic change that prioritises the safety and wellbeing of all children.

The call comes in response to the Federal Government’s plan to introduce a series of reforms to the Early Childhood Education and Care system following a deeply disturbing case involving a childcare worker now facing serious criminal charges.

As reported by The Guardian, Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has announced plans to establish a national childcare worker database to improve the tracking of employment histories across jurisdictions. The database will be part of a broader legislative package, which includes measures to:

• cut off subsidies to providers with serious safety breaches
• prevent underperforming operators from opening new centres
• allow unannounced spot checks without a warrant
• require public improvement notices for services that fail to meet minimum standards.

Minister Clare is expected to bring the reforms forward next week during the first parliamentary sitting since the election.

Arrernte and Luritja woman Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC, said that while efforts to strengthen child safety are welcome, any reform must be grounded in the realities facing the sector, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services. Catherine said that safety must be the number one priority for all children in early education; however, safety cannot be guaranteed until the underlying systemic issues impacting Australia’s early learning and care sector are properly addressed.

Catherine said that Australia’s current Child Care Subsidy funding model has created a profit-driven system, where financial gain can be prioritised over children’s wellbeing. She said that unless we fundamentally shift the way early education is funded and supported, safety and quality issues will keep emerging. Catherine said the way regulations are implemented, who they affect and what their impact is must all be taken into account. She said considerations must be made to ensure we are not piling on more bureaucratic red tape and expense that takes educators away from children.

SNAICC is calling on governments to ensure that new legislation does not place further burdens on services already doing the hard work, especially Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, which are delivering high-quality care and safety outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Catherine said that the community-controlled sector is already showing what high-quality, culturally safe early education looks like. A recent example being the newly opened Napranum Early Childhood Centre in Queensland, announced this week by the Federal Government. Led by the Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council and funded through the Community Child Care Fund, the service brings together daycare and kindergarten under one roof, giving families greater access to culturally grounded, flexible care. After more than two years of dedicated community-led work, the centre has opened its doors last month in June 2025.

As reported by NIT, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles stressed the federal government’s determination to do everything possible to ensure children’s safety in early education and childcare, describing recent events as ‘sickening’. Shadow Education Minister Jonno Duniam agreed that the current system is failing, pointing to significant gaps in reporting and information sharing, and urged for urgent reforms to be implemented without delay.

In Victoria, a state-based childcare worker registration system is being introduced, along with a ban on personal devices in centres from September. The Victorian Government has also launched a broad review of childcare safety, including the possible introduction of mandatory CCTV. Minister Clare supports CCTV as a deterrent and an investigative tool; however, he said that deeper structural reform is more important. He has also ruled out gender-based hiring bans, saying abuse is not confined to any one gender, and that ‘targeting blokes is not the solution.’

SNAICC stands ready to work with governments to ensure reforms lead to a safer, more equitable early education system for all children. Catherine said this is not the time for knee-jerk policy, it’s time for lasting reform.

For full coverage, find our media release and the relevant news stories linked below.