National CCTV assessment

No, this Assessment is not about setting the foundations for a national rollout of CCTV. Its purpose is to understand how CCTV is currently used in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings, including the associated costs, benefits, and risks. The Assessment will provide advice to all governments on best practice, such as guidelines for footage retention. As CCTV becomes more common, the aim is to ensure greater consistency in approaches and to build an evidence base to inform future policy.

The two-stage Expression of Interest (EOI) approach has been designed to the Assessment to seek participation from services that represent a variety of community, operational, and management contexts. The Assessment’s aim is to develop a representative sample that considers different regions, provider sizes, and types (including community, not-for-profit, government, and private). This approach ensures that the Assessment reflects the diversity of the sector and provides meaningful insights across a breadth of service environments. The full list of participating providers will be included in the final report, once published.

If you participate in a risk-based CCTV monitoring approach, you will have discretion to determine the greatest times and places of risk to inform when and what you monitor for your services/s (e.g., outdoor play areas or transition periods). Guidance is available if needed, but the approach is intentionally flexible to respond to local contexts and assess a variety of risk factors. For ad hoc, random sample CCTV reviews, you can choose when and what footage to assess.

Participation requires a completed Privacy Impact Assessment, data governance protocols, appropriate signage, and consent protocols. Cybersecurity measures, including the ACSC Essential 8 and a cyber response plan, are also required. Providers will receive support through checklists, help desk access, and guidance on meeting cybersecurity requirements, including compliance with Australian data sovereignty requirements.

Parents will be engaged through surveys and focus groups, with providers asked to distribute survey links and draft communications. Staff engagement will include a concise workforce survey and focus groups involving a representative cross-section of the ECEC workforce. In addition, an expert panel—comprising sector experts and representatives from the two main ECEC workforce unions—will provide informed views. Broader stakeholder engagement will involve large providers, regulators, state and territory governments, parents, workforce representatives, and sector peak bodies, ensuring that a wide range of perspectives are considered throughout the Assessment.

The Assessment is operating within a tight timeframe, with the intention to commence early in the new year so that governments will have access to relevant data by the middle of next year. Given the increasing adoption of CCTV across services, it is important that guidance on best practice is provided to the sector as soon as possible. The Expression of Interest (EOI) process will be conducted in two stages, and implementation will be progressive. While there will be initial periods of concentrated activity to determine which services are participating under each scenario, subsequent onboarding will be staggered to ensure a smooth and orderly rollout.

The Australian Government has committed $15 million to support small and medium providers participating in the Assessment. This funding is primarily intended to support workforce costs associated with participation. It is anticipated that payments available to services will range from around $30,000-$50,000, but the exact amount will depend on participating service numbers, as well as individual service characteristics. Governments are still finalising the eligibility criteria for participation payments. The exact terms and conditions will be confirmed and communicated to shortlisted providers as part of the Stage 2 EOI process. Providers will have the opportunity to review these details before confirming their participation.

A final report will be provided to Education Ministers in the third quarter of 2026. As this is a joint national project, state and territory governments will help Nous identify providers interested in participating.

An independent evaluator will review the outcomes and provide recommendations for consideration. A final report will be delivered to education ministers in the third quarter of 2026.