Security cameras will be trialled across hundreds of childcare centres nationwide, under a $189 million package aimed at improving safety in early childhood education and care.
The plan was agreed to at a special meeting of federal, state, and territory education ministers on Friday.
The package will also fund the creation of a national register of early childhood educators, compulsory child safety training, and a ban on mobile phones in childcare facilities.
Childcare
Calls for childcare reform followed the arrest of a Melbourne man over multiple child abuse offences.
In May, 26-year-old Joshua Brown was charged by Victoria Police with 70 offences relating to eight alleged victims at a childcare centre between April 2022 and January 2023.
The charges include child rape, attempted child rape, and producing child abuse material. Police said the alleged victims were between five months and two years old at the time of the offences.
Reforms
The CCTV trial will be rolled out across as many as 300 childcare centres nationwide. Some of these facilities have volunteered to participate, while others have been required to do so.
Education ministers also approved the creation of a national registry of early childhood education workers, with the system to be tested and trialled ahead of a full rollout next February.
$20 million has been allocated to fund compulsory child safety training for all early childhood workers.
A new national ban on personal phones in childcare facilities will also be introduced from next month.
In an ABC radio interview, Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh said the plan is to prioritise support for parents to “help them make choices and hold providers to account.”
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“I want parents to know that we are focused on keeping children safe. I want parents to know that we will work... to restore their confidence in early learning, because the vast majority of early childhood educators are there to do the right thing,” Walsh said.
Opposition
Ahead of today’s meeting, the Opposition expressed support for most of the changes, calling for an “urgent uptake of measures”.
Shadow Education and Early Learning Minister Jonno Duniam said Australians are “depending on long-promised changes without delay.”
“Every opportunity to shift the dial should be on the table… A consistent approach from states and territories must be adopted,” Duniam said.
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