All about new Australian child safety laws

The past few years have seen the early learning industry go through a state of flux and regulators have rightly moved to make sure we safeguard children above all else.

At Shared Beginnings Early Learning, this is already the cornerstone of our philosophy. Led by CEO Kim Clifton, a former police officer with over 20 years of experience in early childhood education, compliance is the bedrock on which we build our model.

With every change, however, comes a period of adjustment, and we also believe that communication is key when it comes to making sure families understand our position - and what national changes mean for them, too.

You’ll likely have been informed by now about the need to leave your smartphone in the car while you’re in one of our centres, and you’ll notice staff won’t have smart watches, either.

In January 2026, the Early Childhood Legislation Amendment (Child Safety) Act 2025 came into full effect. This moved the rules around digital devices in centres from ‘guidelines’ to legislated law, introducing significant penalties for non-compliance and making it an offence for staff to have personal devices while working directly with children.

This is about keeping every child protected, ensuring their safety, privacy and dignity is prioritised over digital convenience. It also means no unauthorised photos can be taken, and you can be assured that every image taken of your child will be on a centre-approved device that meets rigorous Australian privacy standards.

Another change that came into law this January is the 24-hour mandatory reporting timeline. Centres are now required to report any serious incidents or allegations regarding child safety to the state regulatory authority within 24 hours; previously, centres had seven days.

Another change that Shared Beginnings Early Learning welcomes is the establishment of a National Educator Register, where all educators are listed as a way to track compliance, working with children checks and qualifications. It means any educator who is flagged for non-compliance will be visible across all states and territories.

Better and more robust child safety training - already a staple in the way we approach care at Shared Beginnings Early Learning - has also been enshrined into law. Where previously only centre directors were required to complete mandatory child safety training, now it’s every single educator, meaning it’s never been easier to make sure everyone is on the same page with the same, up-to-date awareness needed to ensure your child’s safety at all times.

Now that all of these changes have been implemented for at least six months - and in many cases for longer still - we’re committed to making sure families understand the ‘why’ behind them. And the fact is, even without the legal guidelines underpinning them, these are compliance-based measures that line up with the way we have always approached child safety.

Your child’s safety remains our top priority, and we’re excited to move forward in alignment on this.