The National Quality Framework (NQF) reforms to strengthen child safety in education and care services are now in force.
Changes arising from the National Child Safety Review have been introduced progressively since September 2025 to ease the regulatory burden on services.
The most recent changes are listed below to ensure approved providers and relevant service staff are aware of their obligations under the revised NQF. ACECQA has published the list with detailed information about the child safety changes on their website: Strengthened NQF child safety and protections | ACECQA
1 September 2025
- Policies and procedures for safe use of digital technologies and online environments
- Earlier notifications of physical and sexual abuse
- Use of vaping substances and devices banned
10 December 2025
- Extended limitation period for offences and a new stop the clock provision
- Information sharing by regulatory authorities, including from recruitment agencies
- Making it an offence for anyone subject to a prohibition notice to give a recruitment agency false or misleading information about that notice
1 January 2026
- Strengthened child safety focus in National Quality Standard (Quality Areas 2 and 7)
2 January 2026
- Increased penalties, and expanded infringement offences and regulatory penalties
27 February 2026
- Making children’s safety, rights and best interests the paramount consideration when operating an education and care services
- Managing devices in education and care services (further information is available at Safe use of devices in education and care services)
- Mandating child protection and national child safety training
- Establishing inappropriate conduct offence
- Expanding regulatory authority powers to respond to misconduct
- Strengthening Working with Children Checks requirements
- Removing of ongoing service waivers related to service building designs
- Enabling effective identification and monitoring related providers
- Expanding regulatory authority powers to enter and inspect family day care services
- Expanding responsibility of approved providers to assess areas near family day care residences/venues
- Establishing a National Early Childhood Worker Register.
ACECQA is updating the Guide to the NQF in March 2026 to reflect the changes that commenced on 27 February 2026.
Further information about these reforms can be found on VECRA’s website at Child safety reforms: National and Victoria-specific legislative changes.
Updated