A new measure helping early childhood education and care staff complete mandatory child safety training while minimising impact on families.
On this page:
What are service closures for mandatory child safety training?
Service closures for mandatory child safety training is a new measure starting in 2026 that allows Child Care Subsidy (CCS) approved early childhood education and care (ECEC) services to:
- close for up to 5 hours annually to support staff in completing mandatory child safety training
- continue claiming CCS during these closure periods.
Services will have flexibility in how they structure the closures. However, to minimise disruption to families they must not close any earlier than 5pm. They may remain closed until the end of their standard operating hours.
This:
- supports services to help staff complete mandatory child safety training
- minimises inconvenience for families
- responds to concerns about the time and cost of supporting staff to undertake the training.
This mandatory child safety training was announced in August 2025 as part of national reforms to improve safety and quality in ECEC. It is subject to the passage of legislation.
What do providers have to do?
Service closures for mandatory child safety training are voluntary. Providers who take up closures must:
- plan closures and prepare staff for training
- notify families early so they can plan alternative care if needed
- keep a record of closure times.
Service closures must only be used to complete the mandatory child safety training.
Families who receive the CCS during closure periods must continue to pay the gap fee under Family Assistance Law. Co-contributions ensure families contribute to the cost of care and prevents overcharging or misuse of the CCS.
More information for providers, services and families will be available in the coming months.