In the 7 October 2026 edition of Early Childhood Update, we shared information about the changes to the Working with Children Check that took effect on Monday 19 October 2026.
This article reminds you of how to comply with the new requirements. It also shares new guidance videos to help you use Working with Children (WWC) Connect.
Working with Children Connect
WWC Connect is now available through the Service Victoria website. It helps organisations to meet the new legal requirement to notify the Social Services Regulator (SSR) about workers and volunteers they engage to work with children.
To meet the new requirements, your organisation should:
- Check – use the WWC status checker to verify your workers’ WWC Clearance
- Connect – when ready to formally engage, connect them to your organisation using WWC Connect
- Record – keep records to show you have completed the required checks and connection
- Maintain – keep your WWC Connect records up to date as workers and volunteers join, leave or their details change. You need to do this within 7 days for workers and 21 days for volunteers.
Although there is no legal requirement to connect workers who were engaged before Monday 19 October 2026, the SSR strongly encourages you to do so. This will give a more complete view of your child-related workforce. It will help ensure you receive notifications if someone’s WWC Clearance status changes. Please also let your workers and volunteers know the information you are uploading to WWC Connect.
WWC Connect allows you to upload workforce information in bulk using a template. You can access the template in WWC Connect.
Approved providers must also continue to submit workforce information to the National Early Childhood Worker Register, as required by the National Law. You can export information from the National Register about your workers to help complete the WWC Connect bulk upload template. This includes their name, WWC Clearance number and contact details. For information on how to do this, refer to the October 2026 edition of the Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority newsletter: Changes to Working with Children (WWC) Connect.
For guidance videos on how to use WWC Connect, refer to: Working with Children Connect on the Service Victoria website.
If you cannot update WWC Connect within the timeframes (7 days for workers or 21 days for volunteers) for any reason, contact the Social Services Regulator contact centre.
Working with Children child safety training
Mandatory Working with Children child safety training is now in place for people:
- applying for a WWC Clearance
- renewing their WWC Clearance
- changing from a volunteer WWC Clearance to an employee WWC Clearance.
The Working with Children child safety training is a mandatory step in the Working with Children Check application process. It does not replace existing child safety responsibilities, induction, supervision and training, such as the National Child Safety Training or EC PROTECT for early childhood education and care services.
Organisations are not responsible for managing the completion of WWC child safety training for staff or volunteers. The SSR will communicate directly with WWC cardholders about this requirement when their card is due for renewal.
For more information, visit: Mandatory Working with Children Child Safety Training.
Find out more
For more information about WWC Check, refer to: Working with Children Check.
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