Trialling CCTV in childcare centres and the introduction of a national childcare worker registry will be among the measures included in a $189 million package presented by Education Minister Jason Clare to his state and territory counterparts in a meeting later today.
Childcare reform on the agenda today seeks to build on legislation passed by federal parliament last month, which gave the government powers to cut funding to childcare centres with failing safety standards. It follows a prolonged period of concern stemming from allegations of child abuse by a worker in Victoria and separate allegations in NSW.
Minister for Education Jason Clare.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Clare said the CCTV trial, expected to occur at up to 300 centres across the country, would need to balance privacy concerns, while resisting complacency from administrators and childcare workers.
“Cameras can’t do everything. They can help to deter people from doing bad things, they can help police with their investigations afterwards, but ultimately the greatest asset we’ve got here to keep our children safe are the incredible workers in our centres,” Clare told ABC TV this morning.
“We’ve got to train them up, give them the skills that they need to be able to identify somebody who might be hiding in plain sight.”
Some centres will be required to install CCTV as part of the trial, while others will partake voluntarily.
Clare was “very confident” of consensus support for the proposals raised later today, and expected an agreement to be struck today.
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