Child Protection & National Child Safety Training for Educators (2026 Guide)

Keeping children safe is at the heart of what we do as educators.

Since the introduction of the National Child Safety Training in February 2026, early childhood educators have been required to complete this mandatory training as part of Australia’s strengthened child safety framework.

For most educators, this training also satisfies the Child Protection training requirements under the National Regulations. However, depending on where you work and your role, you may also need to complete additional state or territory-specific Child Protection training.

This guide explains:

• What the National Child Safety Training involves
• Whether you need any additional Child Protection training
• The training requirements that apply in your state or territory
• What you need to do to remain compliant

National Child Safety Training

The National Child Safety Training has been mandatory since 27 February 2026 for everyone working or volunteering in education and care services regulated under the National Quality Framework (NQF). It is designed to strengthen child safety practices and help create safer environments for children across the early childhood sector.

The training includes:

• Foundation training (mandatory for all workers and volunteers)
• Advanced training (available from July 2026 for specified roles)

The Foundation training:

• Takes approximately 2 hours to complete
• Is completed online through Geccko
• Provides a Certificate of Completion
• Must be renewed every two years

The training focuses on:

• Creating a child-safe culture
• Recognising and responding to child safety risks
• Understanding safeguarding responsibilities
• Building safer organisations for children

To access the training, you’ll need to create your own Geccko account using a personal email address.

Geccko: https://learning.education.gov.au/user_login

Do I need additional Child Protection Training?

The National Child Safety Training is mandatory for everyone working or volunteering in an early childhood education and care service regulated under the National Quality Framework.

For most educators, completing the National Child Safety Training also satisfies the Child Protection training requirements in most states under the National Regulations.

However, there are two exceptions.

Important: The table above is intended as a guide for most educators. In some states and territories, additional Child Protection training requirements apply for certain roles, such as Nominated Supervisors, Persons in Day-to-Day Charge, Family Day Care Coordinators. For the most up-to-date information, refer to the ACECQA Approved Child Protection Training List

What Educators Need to Do

To help ensure you remain compliant:

• Complete the National Child Safety Foundation Training if you haven’t already (Talent Now educators are required to complete it by 1 August 2026).
• Complete any Child Protection or Mandatory Reporter training that applies to your state
• Upload your training certificate(s) to your Talent Now profile so we can verify your compliance.

Staying Ahead of Regulatory Change

Keeping your training current helps protect children, supports services in meeting their compliance obligations and ensures you remain ready to work across the Talent Now network.

At Talent Now, we actively monitor changes to child safety and compliance requirements, track educator training records and help both educators and services stay aligned with evolving regulatory obligations.

If you’re unsure which training requirements apply to you, or need assistance accessing or uploading your certificates, our team is here to help.