Four duties make up a childcare service’s child protection obligations. Regulation 84: tell every nominated supervisor, staff member and volunteer about the current child protection law and their obligations under it ($3,300). Section 162A and regulation 128B: child protection training, the course published for the jurisdiction on the ACECQA website, before the earlier of 14 days after engagement or starting to work directly with children. Section 162B and regulations 128D to 128E: foundation child safety training on the same deadline and every 2 years for everyone including persons with management and control, and advanced training within 3 months and every 2 years for leaders and educators working directly with children; existing staff had until 27 August 2026. And the state child protection law: in every state and territory early childhood educators are mandatory reporters, with the Act, threshold and reporting body set by the state. Separately, an incident or allegation of physical or sexual abuse in care is notified to the regulatory authority within 24 hours.
This page sets out the training regime in full, the records that prove it, the notification duties, and a state-by-state table of the mandatory reporting law and reportable conduct schemes that apply to educators. The child safe environment policy page covers the policy itself.
| Provision | Training | Who | Deadline | Refresh | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| s 162A, r 128B | Child protection training: the training for the relevant jurisdiction published on the ACECQA website, completed per the published requirements. | Nominated supervisors, persons in day-to-day charge, staff members, volunteers | Before the earlier of 14 days after being employed, engaged or appointed, or commencing work directly with children | As the published requirements provide | $6,600 individual, $34,200 otherwise |
| s 162B, r 128D | Foundation child safety training published for the jurisdiction. | Persons with management and control, nominated supervisors, persons in day-to-day charge, staff members, volunteers | Same: earlier of 14 days or working directly with children | Every 2 years | $6,600 / $34,200 |
| s 162B, r 128E | Advanced child safety training published for the jurisdiction. | Persons with management and control, nominated supervisors, persons in day-to-day charge, staff members who work directly with children | Within 3 months of being employed, engaged or appointed | Every 2 years | $6,600 / $34,200 |
| r 417, 418, 419 | Transitional rule for all three courses. | Anyone employed, engaged or appointed before the amendments commenced, or after commencement and before 14 August 2026 | Before 27 August 2026 | Then the 2-year cycle | As above |
The training is jurisdiction-specific because the child protection law it teaches is state law; ACECQA publishes the approved course and requirements for each state and territory under regulations 128B(1) and 128D(1). Queensland, the ACT and Victoria have variations in their Part 7 provisions, so a service in those states checks the published requirements for its jurisdiction rather than a national course list.
| Provision | What | Time |
|---|---|---|
| r 175(2)(d), r 176(2)(bb) | Any incident where the provider reasonably believes physical or sexual abuse of a child has occurred or is occurring while in care | Within 24 hours of the incident or of becoming aware |
| r 175(2)(e), r 176(2)(bc) | An allegation that physical or sexual abuse of a child has occurred or is occurring while in care (other than one already notified as a complaint) | Within 24 hours of the allegation or of becoming aware |
| s 174(2)(b), r 176(2)(b) | A complaint alleging a serious incident or a contravention of the Law | Within 24 hours of the complaint |
| r 176C | A change in a staff member’s, nominated supervisor’s or volunteer’s working with children check or teacher registration status | Within 24 hours of becoming aware |
These sit beside, not instead of, the mandatory report to the state child protection service and any report under a reportable conduct scheme. One event can require three reports to three bodies on the same day.
Every state and territory makes early childhood educators mandatory reporters under its child protection Act. The table names the Act and the scheme; the threshold for reporting (for example “risk of significant harm” in New South Wales), what must be reported (all abuse types or sexual abuse only), and the body that receives reports differ and change, so the policy should quote the state’s own current guidance and the regulation 128B training covers it. Reportable conduct schemes require the head of the organisation to notify an oversight body of allegations of child abuse or misconduct by employees and volunteers, which is a separate duty from the educator’s mandatory report.
| Jurisdiction | Mandatory reporting law covering educators | Reportable conduct scheme | Working with children law |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998: persons delivering children’s services are mandatory reporters; threshold is risk of significant harm; reports to the Child Protection Helpline | Yes, Children’s Guardian Act 2019, administered by the Office of the Children’s Guardian; applies to education and care services | Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012 |
| Victoria | Children, Youth and Families Act 2005: early childhood workers added as mandated reporters in 2019; reports to Child Protection | Yes, Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005, administered by the Commission for Children and Young People | Worker Screening Act 2020 |
| Queensland | Child Protection Act 1999: early childhood education and care professionals are mandatory reporters (since 2017) for significant harm from physical or sexual abuse; reports to Child Safety | Yes, Child Safe Organisations Act 2024, phased in through 2025 and 2026 with the Queensland Family and Child Commission | Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 (blue card) |
| Western Australia | Children and Community Services Act 2004: the mandatory duty covers child sexual abuse; early childhood workers were brought in by the 2023–24 expansion of reporter groups | Yes, administered by the Ombudsman WA | Working with Children (Screening) Act 2004 |
| South Australia | Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017: employees and volunteers in child care services are mandated notifiers; reports to the Child Abuse Report Line | No general scheme; child safe environments obligations under the same Act | Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016 |
| Tasmania | Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1997: child care providers and employees are prescribed persons; reports to the Advice and Referral Line | Yes, under the Child and Youth Safe Organisations Act 2023, administered by the Independent Regulator | Registration to Work with Vulnerable People Act 2013 |
| Australian Capital Territory | Children and Young People Act 2008: people employed to provide child care are mandated reporters | Yes, administered by the ACT Ombudsman | Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 |
| Northern Territory | Care and Protection of Children Act 2007: every person must report a belief that a child has suffered or is likely to suffer harm or exploitation | No general scheme | Care and Protection of Children Act 2007 (Ochre Card) |
Sources are the state Acts as at the review date; confirm the current threshold and reporting body with the state child protection agency before relying on the table for a report. The regulation 84 advice and the regulation 128B training are where staff learn the detail for their state.
Under Element 2.2.3 (child safety and protection) officers ask an educator three questions: what is the child protection law in this state, who do you report to, and when did you do your training. They check the training dates against the deadlines above and the expiry dates against the 2-year cycle, look for the regulation 179AA record for the owner or board, and check the incident and complaints records for anything that should have been notified under regulation 175(2)(d) or (e). Under Standard 7.1 they look for governance oversight of all of this.
Yes. Section 162A of the National Law and regulation 128B require nominated supervisors, persons in day-to-day charge, staff members and volunteers to complete the child protection training published for the jurisdiction on the ACECQA website before the earlier of 14 days after engagement or commencing work directly with children. Section 162B adds foundation child safety training on the same deadline, refreshed every 2 years, and advanced training within 3 months for leaders and educators working directly with children. Penalty $6,600 for an individual, $34,200 otherwise.
Regulations 417 to 419: anyone employed, engaged or appointed before the 2026 amendments commenced, or after commencement and before 14 August 2026, had to complete the child protection, foundation and advanced training before 27 August 2026. New starters after that follow the 14-day and 3-month rules.
Yes. Section 162B(a) and regulations 128D(2) and 128E(2)(a) include a person with management and control of the service in both the foundation and the advanced training, and regulation 179AA requires a record of their completion and expiry dates.
In every state and territory, under the state child protection Act: NSW (Care and Protection Act 1998), Victoria (Children, Youth and Families Act 2005), Queensland (Child Protection Act 1999), Western Australia (Children and Community Services Act 2004, sexual abuse), South Australia (Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017), Tasmania (Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1997), the ACT (Children and Young People Act 2008) and the Northern Territory (Care and Protection of Children Act 2007, every person). Thresholds and reporting bodies differ.
Within 24 hours: any incident where the provider reasonably believes physical or sexual abuse of a child occurred while in care (regulation 175(2)(d)), any allegation of it (regulation 175(2)(e)), and any complaint alleging a serious incident or a contravention of the Law (section 174(2)(b)). These are in addition to the mandatory report to the state child protection service and any reportable conduct notification.
That the approved provider ensures each nominated supervisor, staff member and volunteer, whether or not they work with children, is advised of the existence and application of the current child protection law and any obligations they have under it. Penalty $3,300. It is an induction duty that sits under the formal training in regulations 128B to 128E.
WIDEN Law answers National Quality Framework questions with inline citations to the National Law, the Regulations and the NQS, so you can check the source provision yourself.
14-day free trial, no card →This page is a research summary, not legal or compliance advice. Element and regulation wording is reproduced from the current reprint of the National Regulations; confirm the position with your regulatory authority before relying on it for a compliance decision.