WWC Checks - Stay up to date!
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Working with Children Check - March 2026
Changes are coming - banned in one banned in all
The Working with Children (Screening) Amendment Bill 2025 (the Bill) was introduced in the West Australian (WA) Parliament 4 December 2025 . This Bill will amend the Working with Children (Screening) Act 2004 (the WWC Act) to mutually recognise adverse interstate WWC decisions.
This means that anyone who has had their application for a WWC Check denied, their WWC Card revoked or conditions put on their WWC Card in one state or territory cannot be granted a WWC Check in any state or territory.
This legislative change is Priority Action 1 of the Standing Council of Attorneys-General National Working with Children Check (WWC) Reform to improve child safety.
It is anticipated that these amendments to the WWC Act will come into effect within the next few months. To help individuals and organisations with this change we are updating our website and factsheets as well as producing new resources. Our website has a new amendments page to make it easier to find out the relevant information.
There will also be free online information sessions beginning in May. Follow our Eventbrite page to be notified when these sessions are available for booking.
It's all about play
On 23 February, the WWC Screening Unit and Daisy the Dugong from The Story Animals joined the It's All About Play session at the City of Wanneroo's Clarkson library.
For the Community Engagement team it was an opportunity to talk about the WWC Check with parents who attended the session with their young children.
With parents often engaging the services of self-employed individuals such as babysitters, tutors, party entertainers and driving instructors we want to ensure that they know about the WWC Check and when it is required. We also want to enable parents to be confident in when they can ask to sight an individuals WWC Card.
If you are hosting an event for parents and you think that they will benefit from learning more about the WWC Check please contact us.
Outreach and education
Last month saw Ava Oprandi from the Community Engagement team head to the Pilbara on joint outreach with the Education and Care Regulatory Unit.
Ava visited Paraburdoo, Tom Price and Newman from 11-13 February speaking to 41 people across 26 organisations.
Organisations included Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, Shires, child care services, youth services and the Martumili Art Centre.
Ava said that many of the questions focused on organisational compliance and barriers to the application process.
We are here to help organisations understand the WWC legislation through our online one-on-one consultations - Ready, Check Chat. Bookings are made via our Eventbrite page.
Do you know the difference between participating and working in relation to the WWC Check?
To be eligible for a WWC Check, you must have a current agreement to engage in child-related work - either written or unwritten - with a person, organisation, or as a self-employed individual. This agreement can be for paid employment, unpaid work, or volunteer work.
It does not include people participating in activities with children for example:
• grandparents participating in an afternoon tea at their grandchild’s school;
• parents attending their child’s assembly or sports carnival;
• fathers participating in their son’s ‘father-son’ camp;
• choir members singing in a choir which includes children;
• adult team members playing in the same sporting team as children;
Without an agreement to engage in child-related work, individuals are ineligible to apply for a WWC Check.
