Latest news with #NationalQualityStandards
The Age
3 days ago
- Health
- The Age
Rowland backtracks on year-long wait for reform after putting 30 centres on notice
Thirty childcare services across the country face having their funding stripped if they do not rapidly meet national standards under new government powers that were passed by parliament last month in the wake of the Melbourne childcare abuse allegations. The services hit with compliance notices from the Department of Education on Friday must inform parents of their status within 48 hours and will have up to six months to improve their performance or risk being stripped of funding. The centres have all failed to meet standards for seven years or more. It comes as state and federal governments promise to build a national system by the end of the year to stop people banned from working with children in one part of the country from getting similar jobs elsewhere, fulfilling a decade-old royal commission recommendation. But the plan to create a centralised portal to view state databases requires each jurisdiction to plug in their information, and stops short of establishing a national Working With Children Check system, leaving the application and approval process to the states and territories. Rowland had flagged earlier on Friday that the new system could take up to a year to develop, but backtracked after the Standing Council of Attorneys-General met, promising it would be in place within months because 'we recognise that this is an area of the highest priority'. The Department of Education noted the 30 alleged breaches of the National Quality Standards that cover childcare centres are not criminal in nature, but relate to failures on child health and safety rules. Loading The government was granted the ability to strip funding from centres that were failing standards in legislation passed last month in response to successive issues, including in Melbourne where alleged paedophile Joshua Brown has been accused of sexually abusing eight toddlers and babies in his care and contaminating children's food with bodily fluids. Failure to comply with the department's notices could result in conditions being placed on the service's child care subsidy approval, or approval being suspended or cancelled.
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Perth Now
Major crackdown on 30 childcare centres
The federal government has launched compliance action against 30 childcare centres as it moves desperately to ramp up child safety measures in the wake of jarring allegations of widespread failures across the embattled sector. Education Minister Jason Clare, speaking on Friday, said the 30 centres had failed to meet National Quality Standards and he would withdraw funding from them if they did not lift their performance over the next six months. 'We have taken action swiftly under the new legislation to begin rebuilding confidence in a system that parents need to have confidence in,' he said. 'This is not about closing centres down, it's about lifting standards up. '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.' The centres, which have not been named, now have 48 hours to notify parents of the action. Not meeting quality and safety standards can include failures to provide for play area safety, hygiene, staff training or supervision. The compliance blitz follows the passage of legislation through federal parliament last month giving the government the power to strip funding from centres that fail to meet basic standards. Education Minister Jason Clare has threatened to cut off funding from 30 childcare centres. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia Centres can also be stripped of their childcare subsidy approval. Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh said the government would put the 'safety and wellbeing' of children 'first and foremost'. 'Today's action should signal to all early childhood education and care providers that the National Quality Standards are not optional and that all services must be up to scratch,' she said. The country is reeling from multiple allegations of shocking and widespread failures in child safety across the sector. On July 1, Victoria Police announced horrific child sex abuse allegations against child care worker Joshua Dale Brown, alleging he had offended against eight children while working for the Creative Gardens Point Cook centre between October 2021 and February 2024. Mr Brown worked in at least 23 centres across Victoria between January 2017 and May 2025 and he held a valid Working With Children Check (WWCC). Later that month, it was revealed the Australian Federal Police had charged David William James with abusing children at six after-school care centres between 2021 and 2024. Alleged child sex abuser Joshua Brown worked at several centres over between 2017 and 2025. Picture Supplied. Credit: Supplied Dramatic reforms are now expected for the sector. On Friday, state and federal attorney-generals met to discuss how to toughen up safety. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has promised a 'banned in one, banned in all' system – in which a person banned from holding a WWCC in one state cannot obtain one in another. Under the changes, criminal histories will be updated and shared in real time between jurisdictions and the criteria that determines who is able to obtain a WWCC will be strengthened. 'It is notable that nefarious individuals have been shopping around the working with children check system and exploiting loopholes,' Ms Rowland said. Ms Rowland said the new national system would be operational by the end of the year. Both the Victorian and NSW governments have also pledged to ban personal mobile devices from centres. Major providers, including G8 Education and Affinity, have pledged to install CCTV into their centres.
7NEWS
4 days ago
- Health
- 7NEWS
Thirty childcare centres put on notice for failing safety and quality standards in federal crackdown
Thirty childcare centres across Australia have been put on notice for failing to meet safety and quality standards. The centres were flagged over long-running breaches — some spanning more than seven years — including unsafe play areas, poor hygiene, and inadequate staff training or supervision. The Department of Education announced on Friday that compliance actions have been initiated, giving the early childhood education and care services 48 hours to warn parents. The full list will be made public next week after notifications are sent. Each centre will have six months to lift its performance against the National Quality Standards (NQS) or face further penalties, including losing access to the Child Care Subsidy. This is the first federal crackdown since tough new laws passed in July to strengthen regulation of early childhood education. Education Minister Jason Clare said the move was not about shutting centres down but about 'lifting standards up'. 'We have taken action swiftly under the new legislation to begin rebuilding confidence in a system that parents need to have confidence in,' Clare 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.' Under reforms that passed Parliament two weeks ago, the Commonwealth can now cut off funding to childcare providers that fail to meet NQS standards on safety and quality, breach the law, or put children at risk. Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh said the action was a clear signal to all providers. 'All early childhood education and care providers must be committed to safety and quality,' Walsh said. 'The vast majority of providers and educators are decent, dedicated professionals who care deeply about safety and the quality of early childhood education and care they provide. 'We want to see regulators working with these centres to get them up to standard so they can continue to provide important services for their communities. 'There is nothing more precious than our children and we make no apologies for putting their safety and wellbeing first and foremost. 'Today's action should signal to all early childhood education and care providers that the National Quality Standards are not optional, and that all services must be up to scratch.'
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Thirty childcare services threatened with loss of funding
Thirty childcare services across the country face penalties including having their funding stripped if they do not rapidly start meeting national standards under new government powers that were passed by parliament last month in the wake of the Melbourne childcare abuse allegations. The services hit with compliance notices from the Department of Education on Friday will have up to six months to improve their performance or risk being stripped of funding and must inform parents within 48 hours. The department noted the alleged breaches of the National Quality Standards that cover childcare centres are not criminal in nature, but could relate to quality and safety standards such as staff training and supervision, or failing to ensure play area safety and hygiene. The government was granted the ability to strip funding from centres that were failing standards in legislation passed last month in response to successive issues, including the alleged Melbourne childcare sexual abuse scandal. Failure to comply with the department's notices could result in conditions being placed on the service's child care subsidy approval, or approval being suspended or cancelled. Minister for Education Jason Clare said the action was not about closing the centres down, but about lifting standards up. '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,' Clare said in a statement. 'This action puts those centres on notice that they need to put the safety of our children first.' The statement said the centres had been identified in cooperation with states and territories 'as failing to meet the NQS relating to child health and safety over seven or more years'.
The Age
4 days ago
- Health
- The Age
Thirty childcare services threatened with loss of funding
Thirty childcare services across the country face penalties including having their funding stripped if they do not rapidly start meeting national standards under new government powers that were passed by parliament last month in the wake of the Melbourne childcare abuse allegations. The services hit with compliance notices from the Department of Education on Friday will have up to six months to improve their performance or risk being stripped of funding and must inform parents within 48 hours. The department noted the alleged breaches of the National Quality Standards that cover childcare centres are not criminal in nature, but could relate to quality and safety standards such as staff training and supervision, or failing to ensure play area safety and hygiene. The government was granted the ability to strip funding from centres that were failing standards in legislation passed last month in response to successive issues, including the alleged Melbourne childcare sexual abuse scandal. Failure to comply with the department's notices could result in conditions being placed on the service's child care subsidy approval, or approval being suspended or cancelled. Minister for Education Jason Clare said the action was not about closing the centres down, but about lifting standards up. '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,' Clare said in a statement. 'This action puts those centres on notice that they need to put the safety of our children first.' The statement said the centres had been identified in cooperation with states and territories 'as failing to meet the NQS relating to child health and safety over seven or more years'.
