National Children’s Commissioner calls for urgent action to safeguard children in early learning and care

National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds is urging a national response to revelations about dangerous practices and regulatory failings across Australia’s childcare sector. 

An ABC Four Corners investigation aired last night has exposed an ineffective regulatory system for Australia’s childcare providers which is failing to protect the safety, health and wellbeing of infants and young children.  

Commissioner Hollonds: “The safety and wellbeing of our youngest and most vulnerable children should be of paramount concern for governments across Australia.  

“There’s been a lot of commentary about ‘childcare deserts’ being a barrier to women seeking employment, and so governments have been focussed on increasing supply and improving affordability as well as increasing pay for childcare workers and early childhood educators.  

“However, there has clearly been insufficient focus on the safety of infants and preschool age children in some of these centres.  

“Australia has had a childcare quality framework in place since 2012, and the majority of childcare centres do prioritise child wellbeing. 

“However, the ‘quality’ of early childhood education needs to start with the basics, and that means ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our youngest and most vulnerable children, without exception.  

“We must urgently address any serious gaps in the regulatory scaffolding and child safeguarding framework that allows physical, sexual and emotional abuse of children in early childhood centres to continue unnoticed or unaddressed.   

“Putting babies, toddlers and young kids at risk because of regulatory failings is unacceptable and we need urgent government action across our federation to address these dangerous gaps in how we protect children in this country. 

“By not making child safety and wellbeing a priority for National Cabinet, we’re allowing our youngest citizens to fall into these gaps created by jurisdictional boundaries as well as fragmentation and complexity in the childcare industry.   

“As I have consistently said, our whole approach to child safety and wellbeing in this country is in desperate need of systemic reform, and this includes our childcare sector.  

“Governments need to stop tinkering around the edges and make the safety and wellbeing of children a priority for National Cabinet so we have accountability and evidence-based approaches at the heart of how we protect our kids and provide opportunities for them to thrive.” 

ENDS | Media contact: media@humanrights.gov.au or +61 457 281 897