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<\/p>\nNine childcare services that failed to lift standards by the federal government’s deadline are now in a process that could end with their taxpayer funding being cut.<\/p>\n
The crackdown is part of sweeping reforms to the sector introduced by Labor last year after shocking reports of child abuse and safety failures in some early education services.<\/p>\n
A highly anticipated national worker register and child safety training for all early educators also become mandatory from Friday.<\/p>\n
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Jason Clare says government changes to strip funding from childcare centres not meeting safety benchmarks are working. (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)<\/p>\n
The government has placed a condition on more than 60 services that were not up to scratch since August, including 30 that were given until the end of this month to lift standards.<\/p>\n
Support for abuse survivors and familiesBravehearts<\/a> 1800 272 831Blue Knot <\/a>1300 657 380Lifeline<\/a> on 13 11 1413YARN<\/a>\u00a0on 13 92 76Beyond Blue<\/a> on 1300 224 6361800 Respect National Helpline<\/a>: 1800 737 732<\/p>\n Of those there are now 19 meeting the minimum standards for child care, while one centre has been closed and another is yet to be assessed by their state regulator.<\/p>\n The remaining nine have failed to improve by the February deadline and the Department of Education is now working with them on “next steps,” which could include suspension or cancellation of their approval to get the Child Care Subsidy.<\/p>\n Threat of funding cut forced centres to ‘act’<\/p>\n Education Minister Jason Clare said the intent behind the laws allowing the government to strip funding was to lift standards in early education centres.<\/p>\n “This legislation is now doing this,” he said.<\/p>\n ‘Top priority’ database to help catch child abusers years away from working<\/a><\/p>\n Exclusive: A key government commitment to protect children from sexual predators will not be “fully functional” for at least three years.<\/p>\n “The threat of cutting off funding has forced centres to act.”<\/p>\n With the national register now in effect, childcare services have four weeks to provide workforce information, which will make it easier to track staff moving between centres or interstate.<\/p>\n They must then update the register within 14 days whenever someone is employed, leaves or other relevant information changes.<\/p>\n Failing to provide this information can result in a fine of up to $34,200.<\/p>\n The childcare sector has faced a reckoning following a number of sexual abuse cases. (ABC News)<\/p>\n The federal government has invested $45 million in the register, which has already been successfully tested with more than 1,000 services nationally.<\/p>\n Mr Clare said the register would help ensure the safety of children.<\/p>\n “There is nothing more important than our kids and keeping them safe,” he said.<\/p>\n Mandatory safety training must be completed this year<\/p>\n Meanwhile, more than 100,000 staff across Australia have already registered for new mandatory child safety training designed to give them the skills to detect, stop and report abuse.<\/p>\n Centres are allowed to close from 5pm on a few days each year to conduct this training, but must provide advance notice to families.<\/p>\n Minister won’t commit to independent review amid childcare sector scrutiny<\/a><\/p>\n The early childhood education minister is refusing to say whether the federal government will establish an independent review of childcare standards.<\/p>\n All current workers in the sector will be required to complete the training in the next six months, and new staff must do so within 14 days of becoming employed.<\/p>\n The training, which has been developed by the Australian Centre for Child Protection, is also compulsory for company directors and centre leadership.<\/p>\n Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh said the mandatory safety training would give the workforce the support needed to “recognise when something isn’t right, and to act”.<\/p>\n End of ‘under-the-roof’ ratios<\/p>\n Findings from a rapid assessment of child safety practices conducted by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority will also be published on Friday.<\/p>\n The report found while most services put children and their safety at the centre of their operations, there were some “loopholes” being exploited by a small few.<\/p>\n Jess Walsh says new training will support childcare workers to make centres safer. (ABC News)<\/p>\n It said there was “significant variability” in how educator-to-child ratios were “interpreted and applied across service types”.<\/p>\n In particular, “across-the-service” ratios, known colloquially as “under-the-roof” ratios, were being used in ways that were “non-compliant” with the law or against the clear objectives of safety frameworks.<\/p>\n The practice counts the ratio of educators to children in an entire service, rather than per individual room.<\/p>\n After being briefed on the rapid assessment earlier this month all state and territory education ministers agreed to remove references to “across the service” from laws and also clearly define the meaning of “adequate supervision”.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/327f41f190369952e610359c08da51aa.jpeg\")
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