On 27 February 2026, several major national child safety reforms commence simultaneously. All staff must be registered on Geccko for mandatory child safety training, the National Early Childhood Worker Register goes live, and new WWCC requirements take effect. This module will help you and your team understand and prepare for every change.
What's Happening and Why
Following serious child safety incidents across the sector, all Australian governments agreed in August 2025 to the most significant strengthening of child safety requirements since the NQF began in 2012. These reforms are rolling out progressively across 2025-2026 and affect every person working in ECEC — from approved providers to volunteers. The good news: These reforms formalise and strengthen requirements that quality services are largely already meeting.
There are now two distinct training obligations — don't confuse them:
1. NSW Child Protection Training (Section 162A) — Existing requirement. Nominated Supervisors and Persons in Day-to-Day Charge must complete an approved course (CHCPRT002 or equivalent). This has NOT changed.
2. National Child Safety Training (NEW from 27 Feb 2026) — Everyone (all staff, volunteers, students) must complete Foundation training on Geccko. This is additional to child protection training, not a replacement. It covers creating child safe cultures, policies, and staff conduct expectations.
A timeline of all child safety reform milestones. Already in effect Urgent / imminent Upcoming
Every staff member, volunteer, and student needs a personal Geccko account before 27 February 2026. Shared or generic email accounts are NOT permitted. Register at learning.education.gov.au/register
Training Requirements Explained
Who: ALL persons with management or control, nominated supervisors, persons in day-to-day charge, staff, volunteers, and students. That means everyone at your service.
What: New training package developed by the Australian Centre for Child Protection. Covers creating child safe cultures, child safe policies and procedures, staff conduct expectations, children's rights, and harm prevention.
Where: Geccko — the Department of Education's free online learning platform. Each person needs their own account with a personal email address.
When: Foundation training available from 27 February 2026. Advanced modules available from July 2026. There will be a 6-month transition period for completion of each module.
Cost: Free. CCS-approved providers may close services early to support staff completion. Wage subsidy grants for small to medium providers (up to 25 services) available from 1 July 2026.
Who: Nominated Supervisors, Persons in Day-to-Day Charge, and FDC Coordinators.
What: Completion of an approved child protection course. In-house training is NOT sufficient.
Approved courses:
Expiry: Section 162A does not mandate a course expiry. However, Regulation 84 requires staff maintain up-to-date knowledge — best practice is refresher training every 12-24 months.
Important: This is separate from the new Geccko training. You need BOTH.
Who: All staff members, volunteers, and students who work with children.
What: The Approved Provider must ensure that everyone is advised of:
Best practice: Assess child protection awareness at the start of employment, during appraisals, and ensure regular refresher discussions (staff meetings, professional development).
Under the NSW Child Safe Scheme, all ECEC services must implement the 10 Child Safe Standards. The OCG has developed free eLearning modules specifically for ECEC services with three pathways (centre-based, OSHC, FDC). Child Safe Standard 7 specifically requires staff to be equipped through continual education and training.
The OCG has received a significant funding boost — expect more compliance audits, investigations, and scrutiny of how your child safe practices are embedded in everyday operations.
1. Confirm all staff members have individual Geccko accounts with personal email addresses
2. Confirm NS and PIDTC have completed CHCPRT002 (or equivalent) — locate certificates
3. Schedule Foundation training completion once it goes live on 27 Feb
4. Add child protection as a standing agenda item at staff meetings (Reg 84 compliance)
5. Ensure refresher training records are documented (even though 162A doesn't require it, Reg 84 and QA2 do)
6. Complete the OCG Child Safe Self-Assessment
Plain Language Guide for All Staff
The changes can feel overwhelming. Here are the things every educator needs to understand, in simple terms. If you're unsure about anything, ask — that's always the right thing to do.