The Difficult but Tremendously Important Concept of Safeguarding Children

If you have heard that the rules around mobile phones and electronic devices in early childhood settings have changed, you are right. If your child attends a childcare centre in NSW, these changes are already in effect.

Here is a plain-English breakdown of what changed, why it happened, and what it means for your family.

Why Did the Laws Change?

The changes were introduced as a child safety measure. In 2025, Australia’s Education Ministers agreed to amend the Education and Care Services National Law to address concerns about the potential for personal devices to be used to capture, store, or transmit images of children in care without authorisation.

The intent is straightforward: children in early learning settings deserve an environment where their privacy and safety are actively protected.

What Changed Nationally

From 27 February 2026, amendments to the national Education and Care Services National Law took effect across Australia. Under these changes, educators and staff who work directly with children are restricted from using personal electronic devices in care settings.

Before this, from 1 September 2025, all early childhood education and care services nationwide were required to have written policies in place addressing the use of digital devices.

What Changed in NSW

NSW moved ahead of the national timeline. The Education and Care Services (Supply, Authorisation and Use of Devices) Order 2025 took effect on 6 November 2025, applying across NSW’s 6,000 or more early learning services, including long day care centres, preschools, and family day care.

Under this order, educators and staff must use service-issued or service-authorised devices rather than their own personal devices when working directly with children.

What Counts as a Personal Device?

The definition is broad. A personal device is any device owned by an individual (not the approved provider) that is capable of capturing, storing, or transmitting an image. This includes:

Mobile phones
Smartwatches
Cameras and tablets
iPads and laptops
Hard drives, USB drives, and memory cards
Wearables such as camera glasses

Who Does the Ban Apply To?

The restrictions apply to anyone working directly with children at a service, including permanent and casual educators, students on placement, volunteers, contractors, and allied health professionals delivering programs on-site.

Parents, carers, and other visitors are not covered by the ban. In NSW, parents and carers remain free to use their personal devices during drop-off, pick-up, centre visits, and events involving their own children. There are also authorised exceptions for essential purposes, including emergencies and health or disability support needs.

What About Screen Time for Children?

These new laws specifically address staff device use, not children’s screen time. Screen time limits for young children are not mandated within childcare regulation at a national level.

The relevant guidance comes from the federal Department of Health and Aged Care’s 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, which recommend no screen time for children under 2 years, and no more than 1 hour per day for children aged 2 to 5 years. These are health guidelines, not regulatory requirements.

What This Means for Your Family

If your child attends a childcare centre in NSW, their service is already required to operate under these rules. Any educator or staff member working directly with your child should not be using a personal device to take photos or videos. Only service-authorised devices should be used for that purpose.

If you have questions about how your centre handles digital devices or image capture, you are well within your rights to ask. Most services will have a written policy in place that covers exactly this.

At Clovel, the safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is at the heart of everything we do. If you would like to know more about how we support your child across our centres, we would love to have that conversation with you.

Child abuse is a difficult subject to discuss. For many, it’s a difficult subject to even think about. Yet, as early childhood educators, it is important that we understand the responsibility we undertake when children come into our care. For many children, educators are their only hope in getting help and removal from abusive situations.

Some choose to deny the prevalence of abuse in the early childhood community, but consider this—every 15 minutes, a child is abused in Australia…and this only includes cases that are reported.

It is imperative that educators push beyond their comfort zones and educate themselves, not only on the signs of abuse, but on the concept of safeguarding children by creating a happy and healthy learning environment where children feel empowered and in control.

What is Safeguarding?

Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services provide a multitude of safeguarding benefits to children, including:

Helping them develop healthy relationships with peers and adults
Teaching them about the world around them
Exploring new ideas and concepts that interest them
Empowering them to use their voices to express themselves

10 National Principles for Child Safe Organisations

The Australian government commissioned the creation of ten principles to guide organisations working with children. The goal is to provide a consistent approach to creating cultures that foster child safety and wellbeing. According to the Australian Human Rights Commission, child safe organisations must commit to the following principles:

Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance, and culture.
Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
Processes to respond to complaints and concerns are child focused.
Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
Implementation of the national child safe principles is regularly reviewed and improved.
Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.

The Importance of Listening to Children

Sadly, it is not uncommon for children to be ignored when they try to speak up about what is happening to them. We must, as educators, take special care to encourage children to talk about their feelings and to take immediate action when something is not right.

Even young children, who may have difficulty putting their feelings into words, should be provided a variety of platforms through which they may communicate their feelings. Examples of such platforms include:

Drawing and/or painting people who are important in their lives
Gathering items that represent being healthy and happy
Describing spaces/settings in which they feel safe and secure
Creating a special sign/signal to use when they feel unhappy or worried
Access to private time to discuss safe or unsafe feelings
Reading picture books or stories about child empowerment and safety

Indicators of an At-Risk Child

Educators must remain aware of the signs and indications of a child at risk of abuse, experiencing abuse, or who feels unsafe. Keep in mind the danger does not necessarily have to come from within the home. Neighbors, extended family members, family friends, peers, and other adults who work with the child can pose a potential risk.

According to the NSW Education site , common signs of abuse and/or neglect may include:

Unexplained bruises or cuts
An unexplained shift in behavior (including, but not limited to, becoming sad, quiet, withdrawn, angry, or aggressive)
Self-injury
Reluctance to remove coats or jackets and expose skin
Bedwetting
Poor sleep
Inability to concentrate
Overly talkative or clingy
Unusual adult or infantile behavior
Developmental delays
Headaches or stomach aches with no discernible cause

It’s important to note that the presence of one or more of the above signs does not necessarily indicate abuse is taking place, but educators must understand the signs so that, if a behavior continues for a prolonged period of time, they are prepared to take action.

If a child does confide in you regarding abuse or neglect, it is imperative that you minimise your reaction, regardless of how troubling the information may be. Let the child know you are truly listening and contact the appropriate authorities.

Safeguarding children is a monumental responsibility, and one educators must take seriously. In many cases it is the educators who stand as the last line of defense for children in unimaginable circumstances. May we step up to the challenge and put the wellbeing of children before our own discomfort.

For any more information, call Clovel Childcare and Early Learning Centre, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. For any information about our Educational Programs, give us a call at 02 9199 0294 or fill in this contact us form.

Thanks for reading,
Clovel Childcare
1300 863 986

Lyn Connolly

Founder and Company Director

Lyn Connolly is the Founder and Company Director of Clovel Childcare & Early Learning Centres, a family‑owned group of eight centres across Western Sydney established from her first service at Merrylands. Active in early childhood education since 1977, she also serves as President of the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) NSW, representing providers in state and federal consultations, media, and public hearings.