New funding and initiatives announced by Education Ministers today will help better embed child safe practice into early childhood education and care.

Education Ministers have agreed to enshrine the paramount interest of the child into national law, establish a national register of early childhood education and care staff, provide funded time for child-safe training for educators, invest in state and territory regulators, and invest in parent education and transparency.

“These initiatives are all about better baking child safety into everyday practice in early childhood education and care,” said The Front Project CEO, Dr Caroline Croser-Barlow.

“One of the best ways to invest in children in the early years is to invest in the adults around them. By investing in a national register for educators, funded time for child safe training, we can help ensure they are as well-placed as possible to educate, support and care for children.

“Crucially, when implemented, these announcements will offer families more confidence in the sector.

“These are important steps on the road to a high quality, universal early education system.

“One of the most significant developments is the agreement to enshrine the paramount interest of the child into national law. This principle ensures that every policy, practice and decision in early childhood education and care is guided first and foremost by what is best for children. This extends from the board room to the service floor. This is a powerful and positive step forward in recognising children’s rights at the heart of our national system, and will help create more consistent protections across the country.

“Today marks a turning point. We need to continue having strong and robust conversations about how to keep improving the system.

“Currently, early education and care sits between jurisdictions and between departments. This leaves the system, and the children, families and educators in it, vulnerable to falling through the cracks.

“We hope the collaboration between the states and territories and the federal government today will lead to the establishment of a national body with responsibility for early childhood education and care that will guide reform towards a universal system,” Dr Croser-Barlow said.

ENDS

Media contact:

Rachel Wallbridge, Government Relations and Engagement Manager

0402 680 092

22 August 2025