The new National Early Childhood Worker Register comes into effect on 27 February 2026, and there’s some important steps service providers need to take to prepare ahead of this date.
The introduction of the register is an important step in strengthening child safety across Australia, as it gives regulatory authorities like VECRA and our interstate and national counterparts clear visibility of who is working in services and where. This will make it easier to monitor, identify and respond to risk.
The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) will be responsible for establishing and maintaining the Worker Register.
What you need to do
Approved providers must:
- make sure all current staff information is entered into the system within one month of 27 February 2026
- update details within 14 days whenever someone starts work, leaves or their details change
- make sure that all worker records meet the requirements set out in the National Law and Regulations.
How to update the Worker Register
Employee information must be updated via the NQA ITS portal. There will be options to either enter and update worker information manually one-by-one, do a bulk upload using excel or a JSON file upload.
For more information and practical support on completing your worker register and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit ACECQA’s website. ACECQA also has a dedicated support team for any phone or email enquiries on the worker register:
- Email: WorkerRegister@acecqa.gov.au
- Phone: 1300 422 327
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