UNICEF Australia concerned about reports of harm in childcare settings
UNICEF Australia is concerned by reports in last night’s episode of Four Corners of children experiencing harm in Early Learning settings. Every child across Australia has the right to be free from maltreatment, harm and neglect.
Access to quality early childhood education and care is fundamental for children’s health, wellbeing, and life-long outcomes. Evidence shows that access to quality early education sets children up for success later in life, but we know that around 1 in 5 Australian children are still starting school developmentally vulnerable. If we want to drive this number down, we need to see more Australian children accessing safe and high-quality early education and care.
Australia has recently taken some significant and positive steps in this regard including improving affordability and accessibility to early education. However, this progress will mean little if childcare settings are not safe spaces for children where they can be free from harm.
The Four Corners investigation raised some serious issues which deserve attention including a greater focus on
- Strengthening child safeguarding approaches and ensuring consistency of standards nationally
- Reportable conduct standards for Early education and care providers,
- Strengthening conditions to attract and retain a qualified, fairly paid, and well supported workforce
- Supporting quality for every child in every service type
UNICEF Australia would welcome further examination into approaches that strengthen and consistently apply child safeguarding in childcare settings. There are many ECEC services in Australia that are meeting and exceeding quality standards, enabled by skilled leaders and educators. There is an opportunity to learn from these services about what is working in ways that can help address the concerning problems highlighted by the report.
We urge that these reports are taken seriously, so that every Australian child can be safe, free from harm, and have access to crucial early education and care that sets them up for success in life.
18 March 2025