All states and territories agree to rush through urgent childcare reforms

All states and territories have agreed to rush through urgent childcare reforms after allegations of abuse at centres across the country.

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland, flanked by her state and territory counterparts, has announced “banned in one, banned in all” legislation to prevent someone banned from working with children in one jurisdiction from working in another.

All jurisdictions have promised to implement these changes by the end of the year.

“There is a firm commitment from all states and territories to pull out all stops, and we are working together as a team,” Rowland said. 

The attorneys-general have also agreed to raise their criteria on who can apply for a working with children check in each state and territory.

They will also strengthen information sharing to ensure that changes to someone’s criminal history are captured and shared in real time under a National Continuous Checking Capability.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission is currently working on a pilot for this program.

“It is notable that nefarious individuals have been shopping around the working with children, check system and exploiting loopholes,” Rowland said.

“These are complex reforms, and they won’t be delivered overnight.”

These changes were first recommended in the 2015 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Rowland admitted families have been let down by successive governments at all levels, but said ”a moment of political will” has brought the recommendations forward now.

“These are complex areas, but that is no excuse for saying this is too hard,” she said.

“The fact is that we have come together, noting that a significant body of work has occurred in the lead up to today’s meeting.”

Rowland also knocked back suggestions of a national working with children check database, saying it was up to each jurisdiction to administer as laws differed in each state and territory.

These reforms come in the wake of allegations against childcare workers in NSW and Victoria.

Joshua Dale Brown, 26, has been charged with 70 offences allegedly committed while working at childcare centres in Melbourne.

David William James, 26, has been charged with 13 offences while working at out-of-school-hours care services in Sydney.

Today’s announcement by the attorneys-general comes in addition to work being done by the Department of Education to raise standards and safety within the sector.

Thirty childcare centres slapped with compliance actions 

Earlier today, the Department of Education slapped childcare centres across the country with compliance actions under urgent new laws that were pushed through parliament last month.

An investigation by the federal education department, in collaboration with states and territories, found 30 childhood education and childcare services failed to meet national quality standards for seven or more years.

The centres have 48 hours to notify parents of the compliance actions and have six months to bring their performance up to the national standard.

Education Minister Jason Clare said he hoped today’s announcement would help rebuild confidence in the childcare system. 

“This is not about closing centres down, it’s about lifting standards up,” he said.

“Over the next six months, these centres will need to lift their game or they will face further consequences, including the cutting off of funding.

“This action puts those centres on notice that they need to put the safety of our children first.”

The Department of Education will release the names of those 30 childcare centres once parents are notified by next week.

The compliance actions do not relate to any criminal allegations.

Under new powers passed through parliament in July, the government can cut off funding to childcare centres that fail to meet the safety and quality standards, breach laws, or act in a way that puts child safety at risk.

The compliance actions are the first time these new powers have been used.

The country’s education ministers will meet next Friday to discuss more measures to strengthen the childcare sector, including a national register of childcare workers, the role of CCTV and mandatory child safety training. 

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.