Horrific stories in early education must end

As the Federal Government was preparing to introduce legislation to ensure early education providers put child safety first, I met with the mother of a child abused in early learning. 

She told me about her daughter, and what happened to her in a place where she should have been safe. A place that should have been giving her a great start in life.

Nobody wants to see the sorts of horrific stories we’ve seen in the news over recent months repeated.

The Albanese Government’s vision is quality, safe, universal early education – giving Aussie kids an amazing start in life and giving parents the confidence to return to the workforce when they’re ready to. 

This time next week, Education Ministers from across Australia will come together to take further action on quality and safety in the sector. 

Like so many Australians, this is an issue I care deeply about. I worked for years advocating for our early educators to be valued and respected. The overwhelming majority are skilled, professional and dedicated. 

I know that a long-term stable and secure workforce is the foundation of quality early learning and child safety.

When educators stay in their roles for longer, building deeper connections with children and families, everyone benefits.

That’s why the Albanese Government is rolling out a 15 per cent pay rise to early educators with our $3.6 billion Worker Retention Payment.

Our investment means the vast majority of workers that are doing remarkable work educating and caring for children can afford to stay in the sector. 

Even with more jobs being created in early education, advertised vacancies are down 23.2 per cent in the past year. 

Keeping educators in their jobs longer means the people caring for your child have a better understanding of their unique traits and rhythms. It allows educators to create calm, consistent spaces where children feel safe, confident, and ready to learn.

And educators who know each other, their children, and families are critical to creating a child-safe culture.

I know there’s more to do. We want to ensure that every early education service is a place where children are safe and thriving. 

That’s why the Albanese Government is working with the States and Territories to protect children in early education and care.

Speeding up work on a nationwide register of early educators will be on the agenda as Education Ministers meet next week, as well as the role of CCTV in centres and mandatory child safety training for educators.

It’s critical that both managers and educators do this training – because providers must drive child-safe cultures from the top. That includes encouraging educators to speak out and report concerns. 

We also need a nationwide register of educators so we can track behaviour from centre to centre and identify any potential red flags. 

And we want to give parents more information about standards in their services – not just to make informed decisions, but to drive providers to do better.  

These steps are building on measures we have already introduced – including passing tough new legislation in Parliament’s first sitting fortnight to allow the Commonwealth to cut funding to providers who fail to put child safety first.

The ban on personal mobile devices in centres – devices we know all too well can be implicated in abuse – comes into force on September 1.

We are committed to this work. That is why we are working shoulder to shoulder with the States and Territories to drive real change. 

And as I think of the mum who had the courage to tell me her story, I know the time for strong action is now. And that is what we are determined to deliver. 

Originally published in The Weekend Australian, Saturday, 16 August 2025