Beyond Background Checks: Building a Culture of Child Safety in Childcare

In light of the most recent inquiry into child safety and yet another devastating case of abuse within a Victorian childcare centre, it’s encouraging to see recommendations for a national Working With Children Check (WWCC) gaining traction.

A centralised approach would be a step forward, but we must be clear: this alone is not enough.

A WWCC system, no matter how robust, only identifies individuals who have already come to the attention of authorities.

It doesn't detect those who have yet to be charged, reported or even suspected.

If we’re serious about protecting children, we need to go deeper, beyond compliance, and straight toward culture.

Removing funding or using punitive measures might seem like swift solutions, but they rarely make services safer.

In fact, they can often increase risk by undermining already stretched staff and systems. Raising safety means raising the bar for the profession: improving training, increasing qualifications, lifting pay, and most importantly, valuing educators as vital members of the care community.

The real protective factor is a strong, positive culture.

That's a culture where teams are stable, well-trained, deeply connected, and supported by trusted leaders.

Where safeguarding isn’t a policy on paper but a living practice embedded in every interaction.

Ultimately, protecting children requires more than regulation. It demands a whole-of-community response.

One that acknowledges the complexity, invests in the workforce, and prioritises meaningful cultural change.