Four Corners shows childcare reform must go further and faster

Wednesday 28 October, 2026 – Australian Childhood Foundation says Four Corners investigation, Monstrous, is a confronting reminder that while governments have taken important steps to strengthen childcare safeguarding, children are still at risk when these systems fail to prevent harm before it occurs.

The investigation raised serious questions about recent reforms, including Victoria’s Rapid Review, changes to child protection laws in NSW and Queensland’s ongoing reforms and if they go far enough to identify risk early, share critical information and stop unsafe adults from working with children.

“This footage is almost impossible to watch. The reality is that children should have never been placed in this situation,” said Janise Mitchell, CEO of Australian Childhood Foundation. “When children are harmed in settings entrusted with their care, we need to look beyond individual failures and ask what systems, safeguards and cultures allowed that harm to occur.”

The Foundation said the program highlights a broader challenge facing the early childhood sector. Many educators have never received comprehensive safeguarding training. Services are often under pressure from workforce shortages, high staff turnover and increasing demands, while safeguarding is still often treated as a compliance exercise rather than a core responsibility.

“Safeguarding children can’t be just about background checks and policies on paper,” Ms Mitchell said. “It has to be about creating environments where adults understand the signs of abuse, signs that children show of abuse are taken seriously, information is shared when risks emerge, and everyone knows how to act before harm occurs.”

Australian Childhood Foundation is calling for governments to accelerate reform in six key areas:

A nationally consistent safeguarding system
All early childhood services should be subject to the same safeguarding standards, regardless of service type or location. Information must be shared effectively between regulators, Working with Children Check authorities, child protection agencies and police so concerns do not remain isolated in different systems.

No unsupervised trainees with babies and young children
Educators who are still completing qualifications should receive close supervision and support and should not be left solely responsible for the youngest children.

Mandatory safeguarding training for everyone working with children
Every adult seeking a Working with Children Check should complete evidence-based safeguarding training before they begin working with children. Victoria is the only state to do this currently. Children everywhere deserve at least the same level of protection.

One clear pathway for reporting concerns
Services should not have to navigate multiple agencies and reporting systems when there are concerns. A single reporting pathway would make sure concerns are acted on quickly and consistently and reduce the risk of critical information being lost.

Greater transparency for families
Parents deserve and should have access to clear information about a service’s safeguarding practices, compliance history and approach to keeping children safe, so they can make informed decisions and ask informed questions.

A stronger, supported workforce
Safe organisations rely on safe recruitment, effective supervision, ongoing safeguarding education and a stable workforce. High turnover, staffing shortages and inadequate support create conditions where risks can be missed. Safeguarding must be embedded in recruitment, leadership and everyday practice.

“Children should not have to be harmed before systems respond,” Ms Mitchell said. “Every review, inquiry and investigation points to the same lesson: preventing abuse requires a genuine commitment to safeguarding, where keeping children safe is the central organising principle of the entire early childhood system. It’s not just about compliance.”

Media enquiries:

Gina Dafalia
PR and Communications
Phone: 0447558195
Email: gdafalia@childhood.org.au