Written by: Beth Sebesfi, ACT General Manager and Head of Curriculum, 360 Early Education
Read time: 4 min read
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Australia’s early childhood sector is undergoing its most significant child safety legislative reform in history — with new laws in effect from 27 February 2026.
- 360 Early Education has undertaken a full review of systems, policies and practices to exceed — not just meet — the new requirements.
- Families may notice clearer language around child safety, digital policies and reporting pathways — all of which reflect 360’s commitment to transparent, accountable practice.
- Read more about our Commitment to Child Safety here.
Table of Contents
At 360 Early Education, the safety, rights and wellbeing of children have always sat at the centre of our work. Across Australia, early childhood education and care is now undergoing one of the most significant periods of legislative reform in our history, with a stronger focus on child safety, accountability, transparency and professional standards.
Over recent months, 360 has been carrying out a substantial review of systems, policies, training, family communications and operational practices so that our services continue to exceed these strengthened requirements.
Internally, this has included a full legislative impact assessment across 105 policies and procedures, updates to staff, student, volunteer and family facing materials, changes to recruitment and induction processes and the embedding of new child safety language and decision making frameworks across our organisation.
What Is Changing Across the Sector?
As of the 27th of February, a number of child safety reforms are now in effect. These reforms strengthen National Law and Regulations, introduce a new national worker register, require mandatory child safety training, tighten reporting timeframes for serious matters, and place greater expectations on services in relation to digital safety, images, devices and professional conduct.
In New South Wales, the law now expressly mandates that the rights and best interests of the children are the paramount consideration, and that those rights prevail over all over competing interest. In practice, this means that services must be able to demonstrate that in every decision we make, children come first.
Nationally, from September of last year, services were also required to strengthen policies around the safe use of digital technologies and online environments. This includes clearer requirements around taking, storing and destroying images and videos of children, obtaining authorisations, the use of CCTV, and the use of service issues devices.
We are now also required to use the National Early Childhood Worker Register and ensure workforce information is accurate and updated within required timeframes. Mandatory national child safety training is also being rolled out nationally, and we are working diligently to put every single person in our organisation through this comprehensive training as efficiently as we can.
What This Means at 360
For our services, these reforms are an opportunity for us to conduct a thorough self assessment of our existing processes, and to formalise and document the quality work that we do every day. The reforms require us to evidence safe practice, professional conduct and accountability.
At 360, this work has included:
– Strengthening recruitment and screening processes, including pre-commencement verification requirements
– Updating inductions for everyone, including visitors, students and contractors, and embedding time stamped acknowledgements
– Embedding the paramountcy principle into policy, curriculum and operational processes
– Refreshing our website, philosophy, and communication materials
– Strengthening child protection systems, reporting pathways and recordkeeping
– Building further training for staff that will sit above the mandatory national training.
Our Responsible Person program, for example, is a sector leading course developed by 360 and being rolled out in our NSW services. This training places strong emphasis on legal compliance, child protection, incident management, ethical leadership, ratio management, parent communication and sound judgement in real world scenarios.
Our updated child protection work also more explicitly addresses cultural safety, professional boundaries, mandatory reporting, the safe use of service-issued devices and respectful, visible and accountable practice. This includes recognising that cultural identity is fundamental to children’s wellbeing and safety and affirming our commitment to culturally safe practice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
What Families May Notice
Hopefully, families will just feel a higher level of clarity around the way we do what we do.
You may be asked to review updated policies or see slightly changed wording in the parent manual. You may notice clearer language or more visibility around reporting pathways, child safety, and the way we use digital technology in our service.
You might also see us communicating more directly around why certain practices matter, particularly where they relate to children’s safety, privacy and rights. This is intentional. We strongly support the sectors move towards greater visibility for the professionalism and standards that guide our work.
CCTV and the National Assessment
You may also hear more nationally about CCTV in early childhood settings. The Australian Government is currently undertaking a national assessment involving up to 300 services, to better understand how CCTV may be used safely, effectively and appropriately alongside existing child-safe practices. The stated aim is to build an evidence base and inform nationally consistent best-practice guidance, including around privacy, data storage and operational use.
This is an area being considered very carefully across the sector. Our ACT services have been onboarded to this study, and we look forward to contributing to the development of a high-quality national framework.
Our Commitment to Families
At 360, we support all reforms that genuinely improve child safety, strengthen professional standards and increase accountability. We remain committed to being an organisation where children are nurtured, families are supported and quality practice is visible in the everyday details as much as in formal systems.
Read more about our Commitment to Child Safety here.
Thank you for your continued trust in 360 Early Education.
FAQs
What is the National Early Childhood Worker Register and how does it protect my child?
The National Early Childhood Worker Register is a new national system requiring all educators and staff to be registered and verified. At 360, we are required to ensure workforce information is accurate and updated within required timeframes — meaning families can have greater confidence that every person working with their child has been properly screened and their credentials are current.
Will there be CCTV cameras at my child's 360 centre?
The Australian Government is currently running a national assessment of CCTV use in up to 300 early childhood services — the aim is to build an evidence base for nationally consistent, best-practice guidance on privacy, data storage and operational use. 360’s ACT services have been onboarded to this study. This is not a blanket rollout; it is a carefully considered national research process that 360 is proud to contribute to.
What does "children's rights are the paramount consideration" mean in practice?
In NSW, the law now expressly mandates that the rights and best interests of children prevail over all competing interests. As Beth explains: “In practice, this means that services must be able to demonstrate that in every decision we make, children come first.” At 360, this principle has been embedded into policy, curriculum and operational processes across the organisation.
Beth Sebesfi
Beth Sebesfi is ACT General Manager and Head of Curriculum at 360 Early Education. In this article, Beth outlines how 360 has proactively prepared for Australia's most significant child safety legislative reforms — and what families can expect to see as a result.