The launch of an online ‘name and shame’ register and increasing checks by the Federal Government are expected to put compliance firmly on the agenda for child care providers in 2018.
The Government’s ‘Child Care Enforcement Action Register’ went live in January, publishing for the first time the names of child care centres that have been sanctioned or immediately suspended due to non-compliance with government regulations.
In the year to September 2017, 178 providers throughout Australia were the subject of enforcement action after breaches that included: physically disciplining children, failing to protect them from harm, failing to provide adequate supervision or appropriate staff numbers, enrolling too many students or providing false documentation.
The Minister for Education and Training, Simon Birmingham, commented: “This register should serve as a warning to providers that if you’re non-compliant and do the wrong thing you will be hung out to dry.” The Minister said the track record of child care providers should be made crystal clear to families.
Mr. Birmingham said the Government had increased the number of compliance checks undertaken and would continue to do so. Approximately 3,800 compliance checks were carried out in the 2016-2017 financial year.
The Register, which is updated every quarter, can be found at the Child Care Enforcement Action Register 2017-2018.
Protection of children is a critical issue in our society, and under Australian law, people who are seeking to engage in child-related work must have a Working with Children check (or in the case of the ACT and Tasmania, a Working with Vulnerable People check). This includes those working at schools, child care centres, hospitals, religious institutions, sport and recreation clubs, and youth community centres.
A Working with Children Check investigates a person’s records, such as criminal history, to assess if they would pose a risk to children if permitted to engage in child-related work.
Along with Working with Children clearance, many people engaging in child-related work require other certification and qualifications, such as a First Aid certificate or Certificate III in early childhood education and care.
Online workforce compliance platform Cited offers validity checks on Working with Children cards in all states, as well as a range of identity checks that includes National Police checks, Visa checks and Volunteer National Police Checks.
For just $9.90, organisations and individuals can achieve peace of mind that a worker has current and valid credentials.
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