‘Horrific evidence’ shows children not protected at childcare centres, Education Minister Jason Clare says
Safety at childcare centres is improving but the minister leading the push says more needs to be done, delivering a frank message to parents.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says he cannot reassure parents their children are safe at childcare centres, pointing to “horrific evidence that they’re not”.
Up to 93 per cent of centres meet the National Quality Standard, according to fresh figures.
That is up from 88 per cent in 2022.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.With the early childhood education sector rocked by a series of high profile abuse cases in recent years, Mr Clare on Sunday said the data showed “progress”.
“I want it to be 100 per cent and I think all parents out there would expect that too,” he told News24’s Sunday Agenda.
“That is why I’ve taken the action that I have.
“That’s why I’ve said that not enough has been done over the last decade or more by any government – Labor, Liberal, state or federal.”
However, he stressed that is “changing”.
“And that’s through the banning of phones. That’s through the training of the staff, that’s through a register, so we know when some of these monsters move from centre to centre or from state to state,” Mr Clare said.
“It’s from legislation to cut the funding and to shut these places down.”
He said an $11.5m commitment to help not-for-profit childcare centres install CCTV cameras would also help.
Some 30 per cent of centres have CCTV.
The federal commitment was made after a trial found cameras help in responding to abuse but could not prevent it.
“Not as useful as having human beings with eyes on their kids and being trained properly, which is why the cops have told us the most important thing we’ve done here is ban the use of personal mobile phones in centres,” Mr Clare said.
The Albanese government has copped backlash after it accepted just one of 23 recommendations from a senate inquiry into early childcare education.
It gave qualified support to eight more.
The committee’s chair, Liberal senator Maria Kovacic, decried the response as “a complete lack of respect for the families failed by this system and a lack of interest in implementing the large scale reform needed to keep children safe”.
Originally published as ‘Horrific evidence’ shows children not protected at childcare centres, education minister says
