The number of “serious incidents” in Australian early childhood services – including long daycare – is increasing, reports, Erin Harper According to a new Productivity Commission report, there were 160 such incidents per 100 services in 2024-25. This is up from 148 and 139 in the previous...
Childcare centres may have clear rules for staff numbers, write Tammy Williams and Marg Rogers, but there are loopholes to get around them. There is a growing number of “serious incidents” in Australian early childhood services, including day cares. A serious incident is one that seriously compromises...
The recent Four Corners investigation into Australia’s childcare system has uncovered deeply troubling gaps in child safety. Experts say it’s a wake-up call for all of us — parents, carers and educators — to do more to protect children from harm. When Systems Fail, Communities Must...
A UK hack shows Australia needs to be very careful about its CCTV trial for daycare centres, reports Lauren Brocki, Alicia Phillips and Kelli-Anne Price It has been a horror year for early childhood education and care in Australia, amid ongoing reports and allegations of abuse...
NSW daycares face a whopping $500k in fines if there's a breach of safety rules. Will this ensure safety? asks Erin Harper The New South Wales government has proposed huge fines to crack down on childcare providers who breach safety rules. New laws, introduced to the state parliament...
Is this enough? Asks Erin Harper Childcare centres will lose their eligibility for fee subsidies if they don’t meet safety standards, according to a new bill introduced to parliament this week. Maskot/Getty Images As Education Minister Jason Clare told parliament: it will give us the power to cut...
We don’t really know. Even though the national childcare quality authority reports on the number of “serious incidents” in childcare services, reports Erin Harper. This week, a Melbourne childcare worker was charged over the alleged sexual abuse of young children in his care. Families are...
What does it mean? The challenge could be finding quality care, writes Victoria Whitington One of the Albanese government’s headline election policies was a “three-day guarantee” for childcare. From January 5 2026, all eligible Australian families will be able to access at least three days of subsidised...
Experts, Gabrielle Meagher and Marianne Fenech, investigate why many Australian childcare centres are not meeting regulatory standards for early childhood education services. Recently, an ABC’s Four Corners investigation reported shocking cases of abuse and neglect in Australian childcare centres. This included examples of children being sexually...
Victoria Minson asks What are the national standards? Recently, we heard claims of shocking abuse and neglect in Australian childcare centres on ABC’s Four Corners program. While 91% of services met or exceeded the national standards as of February 2025, there have also been reports of centres...
