NSW cracks down on childcare centres after horror abuse with CCTV to be introduced
Weeks after a disturbing video emerged of a childcare worker slapping a baby at a Sydney daycare centre, the NSW government has announced sweeping reform of the sector to prioritise child safety.
The installation of CCTV cameras in centres that have already been flagged, a new independent regulator and tougher penalties for offenders are among the set of changes to be implemented following an independent review into the sector.
It comes after horrific reports of abuse within early childhood education centres including an incident where an educator allegedly punished a child by dragging them across the floor, and another where an educator allegedly pinched a child's nose and covered their mouth with a hand in an attempt to get the child to swallow their food.
Reports of a child being locked in cot room for 7 minutes and an educator allegedly being under the influence of drugs and alcohol while working, were also recorded in the independent review which was released on Thursday.
'There have been some really shocking cases that we've seen,'Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said.
'Parents deserve to know that when they leave their children at an early learning centre or preschool, their child will be cared for, respected and nurtured.
'When educators or operators break the rules and violate that trust, the public has a right to know.'
Increased transparency both on the part of the existing regulatory body and the individual centres is a key part of the reform.
Parents will need to be alerted every time there is an incident at their child's centre, and performance data will be more transparent so parents can make informed decisions about where to send their children.
A new regulator independent of the Department of Education will be established, and laws strengthened to ensure those found guilty of abuse are held to account and penalised accordingly.
The changes will also include the development of 100 public, free preschools, which will essentially double the number currently available to kids in NSW by 2027.
While still under the umbrella of early childhood education, preschools are distinct from daycare centres in that they generally operate only during school hours and school term, do not provide meals and take only children from about four-years-old.
The report released on Thursday was undertaken by former deputy ombudsman Chris Wheeler and included details of 34 serious incidents that have been investigated since 2020 and listed 12 recommendations.
The government has accepted all recommendations 'in principle'.
'It will enhance the safety of our littlest learners,' Secretary of the NSW Department of Education, Murat Dizdar said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Telegraph
an hour ago
- Daily Telegraph
AFL 2025; Tom Lynch to face tribunal for striking
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Richmond star Tom Lynch was fined twice and faces up to five weeks on the sidelines for his MCG tantrum after being sent straight to the tribunal. Lynch was reported for striking Adelaide defender Jordan Butts off the ball following a contest between the pair during which he made contact with the head of the Crows defender after a wild swing with his arm. But while the blow glanced off Butts' head, Lynch could still face a hefty ban after being charged with intentional conduct, with severe impact and high contact. The premiership winner also was handed two fines totalling more than $4600, one for engaging in a melee and another for striking. Tom Lynch gets heated. Picture: Mark Stewart Lynch apologised to his teammates and had some sympathy from his coach, Adem Yze, but he was also told there were few excuses for his behaviour. 'He apologised to the group because he knew he let them down just by letting it spill over,' Yze said. '... he's been such a good player at this footy club for a long time. 'He's got white-line fever, and he wants to win.' 'I was going to address it, a couple of reverse free kicks, which was just pure frustration and showing that he cares,' Yze said. 'For him to talk to the group before I even had a chance to talk to them, and then almost put his heart on his sleeve in front of the group, was exactly why he's been the player that he is.' Lynch said the incident was the result of 'frustration' after being manhandled by Adelaide defenders in the mammoth loss. 'I didn't want to cause harm or anything like that. I was just trying to get free or whatever and frustration came out,' Lynch told Seven. 'Clearly … I gave away too many free kicks and it is not good enough as a leader. I thought we were playing pretty well in that second quarter and I pretty much stopped the momentum. Originally published as Richmond forward Tom Lynch has been sent straight to the tribunal for his haymaker at the MCG on Sunday
ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
How Cassius Turvey's mother fought for justice
For the past two and a half years, the mother of murdered Indigenous schoolboy Cassius Turvey has waited patiently for justice. That day finally came on Friday, with the sentencing of three men in Perth. A warning, this story from Rhiannon Shine contains the image of an Indigenous person who has died.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Junk cleared, house cleaned, new paint: Shock update on former Gin Gin house of horrors Phoebe Bishop stayed in
The filthy house where allegedly slain teen Pheobe Bishop lived with her housemates – who are now charged with the teen's murder – has been completely cleaned and revamped. Tanika Bromley, 33, and her partner James Wood, 34, were renting the three-bedroom home in Gin Gin home at the time of Pheobe's disappearance in May. The squalid property was among several crime scenes declared during the police probe into the 17-year-old's disappearance, after she failed to check into a flight bound for Brisbane. In early June, despite no-one living in the house, the front lawn was still strewn with rubbish. A bus parked outside the home, carrying a crudely-drawn sign saying 'Let it Ride', was piled up to the roof with junk, along with a small dinghy. But recent pictures have captured the extent of the clean-up work done on the house, just weeks after both Ms Bromley and Mr Wood faced court charged with Pheobe's murder. Rubbish from the yard has been completely cleared away and the exterior facade of the house appears to show a fresh coat of paint. Repairs have also been carried out to the balcony exterior. The boat and bus once parked out the front have also been towed away, and the lawn has been freshly mowed. The pictures are night-and-day compared to the feral state the house was left in, with 7News capturing the extent of rubbish left behind after Ms Bromley and Mr Wood were ordered out of the property during the police investigation. Dog faeces and trash litter the rooms and holes in the walls and doors were hastily patched by the pair, the landlord told 7News. 'A rubbish dump is probably cleaner,' the landlord told the program. 'I just can't understand how someone can live in conditions like this.' The clean-up effort follows Ms Bromley and Mr Wood being charged with Pheobe's murder in early June. They are also facing two counts each of misconduct with a corpse, with police alleging the pair moved Pheobe's body more than once after her death. A massive search effort commenced after Pheobe failed to check into her flight from Bundaberg Airport on May 15, where she was due to fly to Brisbane and then onto Western Australia to visit her boyfriend. Weeks after the search, human remains were discovered in the Good Night Scrub National Park Area, which police later confirmed to be Pheobe's. In an added blow, Ms Bromley has been slapped with a banning order by the NDIS, black-listing her from 'being involved in providing NDIS supports or services to NDIS funded participants'. 'Specifically, Tanika Bromley is prohibited from providing supports and services, directly or indirectly, to NDIS-funded participants,' the banning order, issued on June 12, states. The order covers any activities which could be undertaken by NDIS workers and affiliated consultants and auditors and 'the provision or management of NDIS supports, services or funding to people with disability in the NDIS'. It remains in place for six months and covers all Australian states and territories.
