New legislation to fix the state’s broken Working With Children Check (WWCC) system was introduced into Parliament this week by the Victorian Liberals and Nationals but was blocked by Labor.
The Nationals’ Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad said the Worker Screening Amendment (Safety of Children) Bill 2025 was designed to implement recommendations made by the Victorian Ombudsman in 2022 to strengthen Victoria’s WWCC system.
It also would have actioned a number of key elements of the Liberals and Nationals’ six-point plan, Safe from the Start, to protect children in childcare.
“As soon as Parliament resumed, we have taken the opportunity to act on this important issue,” Ms Broad said.
“These recommendations make it easier to cancel or deny a Working With Children Check and give assessors more power to consider a wider range of information and risks when deciding if someone is suitable.
“The Allan Labor Government was urged to bring in these reforms in 2022 but failed to do so and children have potentially been placed at risk as a result.
“Reports of child sexual abuse in Victorian childcare have revealed serious problems in the state’s child protection system and shown that urgent changes are needed to rebuild trust,” Ms Broad said.
The legislation followed a six-point plan announced by the Victorian Liberals and Nationals to help keep children safe and restore confidence in Victoria’s childcare system.
“As a mum that has used childcare in the past, I understand that trust is so important. Children need to be safe and parents deserve absolute peace of mind when they drop their children off at care,” Ms Broad said.
Ms Broad said since 2018, complaints to the regulator, the Quality Assessment and Regulation Division (QARD), had increased by 45 per cent, while enforcement actions dropped by 67 per cent.
“Despite calls for urgent action, the Allan Labor Government launched another review aimed at managing political fallout rather than fixing the system.”
The Victorian Nationals and Liberals have put forward a clear plan for immediate, practical reforms to improve safety in childcare settings across the state. These reforms include:
- Fix the Working With Children Check (WWCC);
- Give parents the right to know;
- Raise the bar on workforce standards:
- Create an independent childcare safety watchdog;
- Ban personal phones and install CCTV; and
- Link federal funding to safety.
“The Victorian Liberals and Nationals stand ready to work together to close dangerous loopholes in the current legislation and achieve safer outcomes for our children.”
Media Contact: Linda Barrow 0484 303 764 linda.barrow@parliament.vic.gov.au
