Calls grow to back safety over access in childcare

Kat Wong |

There’s a growing debate on how best to balance child safety and access in the childcare sector.
There’s a growing debate on how best to balance child safety and access in the childcare sector.

Australians are being urged to prioritise safety over increased access to childcare following horrifying allegations of sexual abuse within early education.

The federal government has promised to deliver universal access early education, but parents’ trust in the system has been shaken after a Victorian childcare worker was charged with more than 70 sex offences against children.

Education Minister Jason Clare vowed to fast-track measures aimed at strengthening childcare centre safety standards and conceded change had been too slow.

Melissa McIntosh
The coalition’s Melissa McIntosh says safety should be the top priority in childcare. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS)

On Sunday, opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh raised the pace of reform and questioned whether Labor had its priorities in order.

“Their top priority should be the safety of our children,” she told the ABC.

“The government has this mandate to increase childcare in this country, to have more children in childcare.

“Why is that their top priority?”

The coalition has promised to support any reforms that would help protect children as the government prepares to expedite its childcare safety legislation when parliament returns on July 22.

cameras
CCTV cameras could become more widespread to improve safety in childcare centres. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

Any childcare operators who persistently fail to meet minimum standards would be prevented from opening new centres.

Repeat offenders or those with egregious and continued breaches would be cut off from the government’s childcare subsidy funding.

The Victorian government also unveiled its own reforms which include a register of childcare workers and educators, a ban on personal mobile phones in centres and mandatory CCTV.

Following the sexual abuse allegations, many parents have become hesitant to leave their children with childcare providers, but the growing cost of living has left them with no choice, federal cabinet minister Kristy McBain said.

“We have to make sure that parents have trust in that system,” she told Sky News.

“There’s some work to do here, but we will work really hard because what we’ve seen afforded is every parents’ worst nightmare.”

childcare
The growing cost of living has left parents with no choice but to use childcare. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS)

Changes to working with children checks will be discussed at the next meeting of state and territory attorneys-general, and a national childcare safety crackdown is under way with the first stage focusing on stricter recommendations for photography, filming and mandatory reporting rules.

Some parents have called for men to be banned from working in childcare, but the government does not believe it is the solution to child safety and members of the coalition have also been hesitant.

The Victorian allegations follow the arrest and charging of a Brisbane childcare worker last year, who was accused of more than 300 offences against 60 children at a range of centres.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

AAP