Victorian Nationals: Emma Kealy MP – A clear plan to keep Victorian children safe

The Victorian Liberals and Nationals have unveiled a clear, six-point plan to better protect children in early learning settings and restore confidence in Victoria’s childcare system.

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy, said Labor’s continued failure to act on repeated warnings had put vulnerable children at risk.

“Parents deserve to know that their children are safe, nurtured and protected every time they step into a childcare centre,” she said.

“Instead, under Labor’s watch, warnings have been ignored, serious complaints have gone unanswered, and safety standards have slipped — with devastating consequences.

“We won’t stand by while families are left in the dark. We have a plan to put safety first and give parents the transparency they’ve been asking for.”

Since 2018, complaints to Victoria’s childcare regulator – the Quality Assessment and Regulation Division (QARD) – have increased by 45 per cent. In the same period, enforcement action has dropped by a staggering 67 per cent.

Despite urgent calls for action, the Allan Labor Government failed to recall Parliament and instead announced yet another review designed to manage the headlines, not fix the problem.

In contrast, the Liberals and Nationals have committed to delivering practical reforms immediately. The plan includes:

1. Fix the Working With Children Check – Close loopholes by allowing assessors to consider any relevant information when determining a person’s suitability to work with children.
2. Give parents the right to know – Publish real-time safety, compliance and performance data for every childcare centre.
3. Raise the bar on workforce standards – Create a central register of early childhood workers to improve accountability.
4. Create an independent childcare safety watchdog – Establish a regulator with powers to prevent, investigate and enforce safety breaches transparently.
5. Ban personal phones and install CCTV – Prohibit personal phones in childcare rooms and install secure CCTV where appropriate to protect children and staff.
6. Link federal funding to safety – Link childcare subsidies to centre safety performance, rewarding high standards and holding poor performers accountable.

“These are sensible, immediate actions that will make childcare settings safer and give families peace of mind,” Ms Kealy said.

“We are standing up for children, for parents, and for the educators who are doing the right thing and want to work in a system that puts safety first.

“The Liberals and Nationals stand ready to work with Parliament to pass the necessary legislation and deliver these urgently needed reforms without delay.”