From February 2026, a new mandatory national child safety training requirement will come into effect for everyone working in early childhood education and care (ECEC) across Australia. This reform represents a significant step forward in strengthening child safety, wellbeing, and professional accountability across the sector.
Kirsty Crozzoli, KKTC General Manager Training Delivery was recently included in an invitation only collaboration meeting to give RTO’s insight into the rollout, support, look and feel of the training platform, and what it means for those working and studying in ECE. If you are an educator, trainer, student, or service leader, here’s what you need to know.
The new child safety training forms part of a broader national child safety reform agenda, agreed to by all Australian Education Ministers. The reforms aim to:
- Strengthen child-safe cultures in early learning environments
- Improve prevention and early identification of child abuse and harm
- Ensure consistent child safety knowledge across all states and territories
- Increase accountability and professional standards in the ECEC workforce
- The training aligns with recommendations from national reviews into child safety and quality in early learning settings.
Who Needs to Complete the Training?
From 27 February 2026, the training will be mandatory for all individuals involved in ECEC services, including:
- Approved providers and persons with management or control
- Nominated supervisors
- Persons in day-to-day charge
- Educators (qualified and unqualified)
- Support staff
- Volunteers
- Students undertaking placements in ECEC services
In short, anyone working in or around children in an early learning service will need to complete this training.
How Will the Training Be Delivered?
The training will be delivered online through Geccko, the Australian Government’s national learning platform for the early childhood sector.
Key points to note:
The training will be free of charge
Each participant must have an individual Geccko account
Shared email addresses or accounts will not be permitted, as completion will be formally recorded
Completion records will be used to demonstrate compliance
Have your educators create their Geccko account now https://www.education.gov.au/early-childhood/about/quality-and-safety/mandatory-national-child-safety-training
Training Structure and Timing
The training will be rolled out in two stages:
Foundation Child Safety Training
- Available from 27 February 2026
- Mandatory for all ECEC workers and students
- Focuses on core child safety principles and responsibilities
Advanced Child Safety Modules
- Available from July 2026
- Designed for service leaders, managers, and those in positions of authority
- Builds on foundation knowledge with more complex scenarios and leadership responsibilities
Further details on the exact content of each module are expected closer to implementation.
What Should Educators and Services Do Now?
- Start planning how your service will schedule staff training time
- Ensure staff and students have access to individual email accounts
- Review existing child protection and child-safe policies
- Build child safety discussions into professional development and supervision
- Early preparation will make the transition smoother once the training goes live, ensure all team members who need to complete the training have have created a Geccko account
Child safety is everyone’s responsibility, and this new national training represents an important step in strengthening the knowledge, confidence, and accountability of the early childhood workforce.
As more details are released over the coming months, services and educators will have clearer guidance on compliance expectations — but the message is already clear: child safety is central to quality early learning.
