“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is Management systems – New National Early Childhood Worker Register.
Element 7.1.2: Systems are in place to manage risk and enable the effective management and operation of a quality service that is child safe.
Preparing for the National Early Childhood Worker Register: Essential Guidance for ECEC Approved Providers:
As part of the national child safety reforms, the state and federal Education Ministers have commissioned ACECQA to develop a system for collecting and storing information on persons working in children’s education and care.
The National Early Childhood Worker Register (the Register), will become mandatory from 27 February 2026. Approved providers will have one month from this date to update the Register with information on their current workforce.
This foundational register aims to provide regulators with national visibility of the ECEC workforce, marking an important step in enhancing child safety and sector accountability. The Register addresses longstanding needs for greater oversight in the ECEC sector. It provides regulators with clearer insights into the workforce, enabling them to better monitor, identify, and respond to potential risks.
The Register is an electronic system integrated into the existing NQA ITS. It allows approved providers to enter and manage workforce information digitally, while giving regulators a comprehensive national view of who is working in ECEC services and where.
It applies to all workers in education and care services, including:
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- Educators
- Nominated supervisors
- Family day care coordinators and assistants
- Volunteers
- Students
- Non-educator staff
- Teachers (regardless of their teacher registration status)
Importantly, individual educators and staff do not need to register themselves, approved providers are solely responsible for entering and maintaining the information. The information to be entered into the Register is the information already collected by approved providers.
Timeline for implementation and updates:
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- From 27 February 2026, providers have one month to enter information for their current workforce.
- For new workers or changes (including cessations), updates must occur within 14 days.
- Returning workers can have their records reactivated rather than re-entered from scratch.
Providers can use bulk upload features (Excel or JSON) to efficiently manage data, especially for larger services. Note that the Register does not replace the need to maintain full staff records separately in line with the Education and Care National Law and Regulations or for payroll or verification purposes. Additionally, providers must continue conducting their own screenings, including WWCC verification.
How to prepare:
With the mandatory start date approaching, approved providers should take proactive steps:
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- Review current staff records for accuracy and completeness.
- Assign clear internal responsibilities for managing and maintaining the Register.
- Prepare data for bulk uploads, where applicable.
- Familiarise yourself with NQA ITS updates and ACECQA guidance materials.
- Ensure ongoing processes are in place for timely updates (within 14 days).
- Provide information to staff about the Register and update staff handbook with reference to the Register.
The current Register is described as “foundational,” with potential future enhancements (subject to sector consultation and ministerial approval in 2026) such as National identity verification, direct integration with screening agencies i.e., WWCC, and possibly a full national educator registration scheme to support professional recognition.
Further information:
ACECQA- Information sheet – Early childhood worker register
Within System7 go to Quality Area 7/ Modules 4-27 to submit self-assessment notes and if required, open a QIP issue if you identify any areas of improvement.
The Childcare Centre Desktop has a range of resources to assist services with management systems. These include New Regulation Checklist, Staff Orientation Checklist, Staff Handbook, Child Protection Policy, Child Safe Environment Policy and Procedure, Team/staff Register and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links:
Childcare Centre Desktop – Childcare Centre Desktop
National Quality Standard – QA 7/ 7.1.2- Management Systems
National Regulations – Division 9, Division 10, 168
System7 Module – QA7/ Modules 4-27
If you have any questions send us a note via the Contact page here!
