05 August 2026

Child safety training deadlines and requirements 

Creating and maintaining child safe environments is a shared responsibility across the early childhood education and care sector. To strengthen child safeguarding practices and support the safety and wellbeing of every child, everyone involved in providing education and care under the National Quality Framework (NQF) must now complete new mandatory child safety training.

NQF-regulated services include:

• long day care
• family day care
• outside school hours care
• preschools and kindergartens.

Under the Family Assistance Law, the training is also mandatory for In Home Care and Community Child Care Fund Restricted (CCCFR) services that are not regulated under the NQF.

What does the training involve?

National child safety training consists of:

Foundations of child safety
Course 1: Understanding child safety
Course 2: Understanding and identifying child abuse and neglect

Advanced child safety
Course 3: Creating child safe cultures through everyday practice
Course 4: Responding to safeguarding concerns
Course 5: Leading and governing child safety

Courses 1 and 2 have been available since February 2026. Courses 3 and 4 became available on 31 July 2026. Course 5 is expected to be available from 30 September 2026.

Foundations of child safety training

Foundation training is mandatory for anyone working or volunteering in a service regulated under the NQF, as well as In Home Care and CCCFR services under the Family Assistance Law.

Foundation training takes around 2 hours to complete.

Who needs to complete foundation training?

• Persons with management or control of a service (PMC)
• Nominated supervisors
• Persons in day-to-day charge of a service
• Staff members
• Volunteers, including students.

When does foundation training need to be completed?

Anyone working or volunteering at a service before 14 August 2026 must complete the foundation training by 27 August 2026.

Anyone who starts working or volunteering at a service on or after 14 August 2026 must complete the foundation training by whichever occurs first:

• before they start working directly with children at the service
• within 14 days of being employed at the service.

Advanced child safety training

The Advanced Child Safety Training builds on the Foundations of Child Safety by focusing on two critical dimensions of safeguarding practice: 

• Prevention - creating child safe cultures through everyday practice. 
• Response - recognising, assessing and responding to safeguarding concerns when they arise. 

Who needs to complete advanced training?

• Persons with management or control of a service (PMC) – Course 5 only
• Nominated supervisors
• Persons in day-to-day charge of a service
• Staff members – Course 3 and 4 only

If you are unsure which course/s you need to complete, visit the National child safety training webpage.

When does advanced training need to be completed?

People who hold a relevant role with their current provider before 30 September 2026 must complete advanced training by 31 March 2027.

People who start working in a relevant role after 30 September 2026, must complete advanced training within 3 months from the date they are employed, engaged or appointed at the service. 

Where can I find more information about the training?

For more information about the training requirements, support and access visit the National child safety training webpage or the ACECQA website.