Submission to the National Child Safety Review Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (CRIS)

On 11 June 2025, FDCA lodged a comprehensive submission in response to National Child Safety Review Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (CRIS) on behalf of the family day care sector nationally. The regulatory and non-regulatory options proposed in the CRIS responded to the recommendations from the 2023 Review of Child Safety Arrangements under the National Quality Framework, led by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) and covered areas such as management of digital devices, child safety training, responding to educator and staff member conduct, strengthening the obligations and reporting requirements around Working With Children Checks, improving the safety of the physical service environment in family day care and other recommendations.

In our submission, FDCA advocates for a reform process that supports child-safe cultures through partnership, proportionate enforcement, and policy solutions that reflect the strengths and realities of the family day care model. We highlight the unique context of family day care and strongly advocate that, while child safety must remain paramount, any regulatory reform must be carefully calibrated to the context in which early education and care is delivered.

Drawing on the valuable feedback from approved providers and educators, gathered through a member survey, FDCA’s submission highlights the sector’s broad commitment to child safety, particularly around improving training, WWCC processes and information sharing, as well as a strong preference for professional standards, support measures, and enforceable policies over prescriptive, one-size-fits-all regulatory interventions. Importantly, FDCA also strongly represents the sector’s widespread concerns about operational feasibility, especially regarding proposals for regulatory control over prohibition of personal digital device use, expanded inspection powers, and whole-property assessments, which may increase administrative burden, affect viability and/or represent unreasonable regulatory overreach.

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