Big Changes Coming to Childcare: CCTV, Phone Bans and National Register Shake Up the Sector
Australian childcare is about to undergo its biggest safety shake-up in years. A major national reform package will introduce a range of new measures, including a CCTV surveillance trial at hundreds of centres, a nationwide childcare worker register, mobile phone bans, and mandatory safety training for all staff.
The federal government has committed $189 million to deliver these changes, with work beginning immediately. These reforms come following a landmark meeting of education ministers from every state and territory, who met in Sydney and agreed to roll out the changes together.
A key part of the plan is a CCTV trial that will launch later this year at 300 childcare centres across the country. The trial is scheduled to begin in either October or November and will explore how footage is collected, stored, and who has access to it. The goal is to boost transparency, monitor staff conduct, and provide better oversight in situations involving child safety concerns.
Another major change will see all childcare workers placed on a new national register. This will allow childcare providers and regulators to verify staff credentials, monitor previous conduct issues, and prevent unsuitable individuals from moving unnoticed between states or centres. It’s designed to bring childcare into line with other regulated professions like teaching and nursing.
The register will be backed by a new safety training regime that will become mandatory for all early childhood educators. The training will begin rolling out in 2026, and aims to ensure every worker has a strong understanding of child safety, behavioural management, and ethical conduct. The goal is to improve professional standards across the board and give families more confidence in the system.
In addition to surveillance and training, the reforms will also introduce strict mobile phone bans for staff during working hours. The ban is designed to remove distractions and limit the potential for inappropriate phone use, including the misuse of cameras or social media during childcare hours.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare described the changes as a “game changer” for families and children. He said these reforms are focused on keeping children safe and ensuring trust in early learning environments remains strong. By combining better surveillance, stronger regulation, and consistent national standards, the government hopes to raise the bar for quality and safety across the sector.
These reforms come after growing pressure from parents, advocacy groups, and recent high-profile cases involving misconduct in childcare settings. There have been ongoing calls for stronger protections and more consistent national oversight—something these new changes aim to address directly.
With funding already secured and rollout timelines now set, families can expect to see the first phase of these reforms by the end of 2025. The CCTV trial will likely be the first visible step, with broader changes like training and the national register phased in over the next year or two.
For parents, educators, and providers, this signals a major turning point in early childhood care—one that puts safety, transparency, and trust at the heart of every centre.
