Like so many people across our community, I have been deeply shocked and distressed by the reports of child sexual abuse in childcare centres across Sydney, including at centres in our local area.
My thoughts are with the children, families and communities who have been affected. The pain and trauma caused by these crimes is unimaginable, and every victim deserves our support.
This has also shaken the confidence of parents. I know many families rely on childcare. We have all had to question whether our kids are safe when we drop them off in the morning. It’s not just because we love our kids. But because our young children are dependent on those entrusted with their care, and the abuse of children is an unimaginably evil act.
The safety of children must always come first. While no law can eliminate every risk, it is clear that we need stronger safeguards and better systems to protect children in early learning and childcare settings.
I am concerned that there are structural weaknesses in the current regulatory framework that require urgent attention. Governments of all persuasions should be willing to examine whether existing arrangements are working as intended and whether reforms are needed to better identify risks before harm occurs.
In particular, I do not believe the current Working With Children Check system is sufficient on its own. A truly effective system should do more than identify previous criminal convictions.
It should help ensure that people working with children are fit and proper persons by drawing on a broader range of information, including prohibition notices, suspensions, substantiated regulatory breaches, and relevant intelligence held by regulators and law enforcement agencies. Better information sharing between childcare providers, regulators and police should be part of that discussion.
We should also carefully examine a system that allows workers to move rapidly between large numbers of childcare centres. This poses an unacceptable risk.
I have also heard from childcare operators who believe the assessment and ratings process has become too focused on compliance paperwork rather than genuine child safety and quality outcomes. These assessments are also infrequent. Effective regulation should support a strong partnership between providers and regulators, with issues identified and addressed early before they become serious problems.
There is important work ahead for government, regulators and the sector. We cannot legislate away every act of evil, but we can build stronger systems that earn and deserve the trust that families place in them.
