Horrific allegations of abuse across childcare centres in Australia have triggered fresh proposed legislation which aims to address gaping holes in the sector.
An urgent childcare reform forms one half of the federal government’s two key pieces of legislation introduced on July 23 as parliament returns for its second day of sitting.
Education Minister Jason Clare said a lot of work needs to be done to “rebuild trust” in a system millions of parents rely on every day to keep their children safe.
Here’s exactly what the federal government is proposing and how it will work.
Cutting funding from centres which don’t keep kids safe
Today the government introduced legislation to parliament to lift child safety in early education and care services.
This piece of proposed legislation would give the federal government the power to immediately cut funding to centres which don’t meet minimum standards.
It would also allow Commonwealth officers to perform “spot checks” without warning to identify fraud or non-compliance.
“I think the whole country has been sickened and shocked by the allegations that have come out of Victoria in the last few weeks,” Clare said.
“The biggest weapon that the Commonwealth has to wield here is the funding that we provide that enables child care centres to operate.
“It’s something like $16 billion a year, and that covers about 70 per cent of the cost of running the average child care centre.”
Clare said the government knows childcare centres can’t survive without funding.
He explained the government doesn’t want to “shut centres down” but aims to promote safer environments in centres.
“It’s about lifting standards up and giving us the powers to make that happen,” Clare said.
It remains unclear what the threshold would be for the government to flex this power, however it is understood the legislation will target centres who make even a single breach of safety standards.
The government would also be able to issue a “show cause” notice, which gives a centre 28 days to prove they meet the minimum standards.
Centres which repeatedly breach regulatory requirements could have their Child Care Subsidy (CSS) approval suspended or cancelled.
And new provider approvals or expansion requests could be denied over safety breaches.
Minister for Early Education Jess Walsh said the legislation should only come as a threat to “repeat offenders” who put profit above child safety.
“We have a strong message for those providers who do put profit ahead of child safety, and that is that we want you to lift your game or to leave the sector,” Walsh said.
“It gives us a strong stick that we’re willing to use to drive standards in early childhood education to deliver the quality and the safety that parents deserve.”
CCTV cameras and stronger worker vetting
The comprehensive reform also includes a call for a national childcare worker register and improvement on Working With Children Checks.
“I think the revelations in Victoria over the course of the last few weeks tell us exactly why this is so important,” Clare said.
Police now believe Brown worked at 24 childcare centres between January 2017 and May 2025 in Victoria.
Brown is charged with 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims police say were at Creative Gardens Early Learning Centre in Point Cook between April 2022 and January 2023.
Education ministers will also meet next month to discuss a proposed rollout of CCTV cameras in centres.
“CCTV and the role that it can potentially play in deterring a bad person from doing heinous things and also helping police with their investigations,” Clare added.
It’s expected the legislation to cut funding will be fast-tracked through parliament this week after Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the Coalition would support the reform, describing it as “above politics”.
The Independent Education Union, which represents early childcare teachers in Australia, said it welcomes the proposed reform.
“The IEU supports cutting federal funding from providers that do not prioritise child safety and those that put profits ahead of the children they care for,” said NSW/ACT Branch Secretary Carol Matthews.
