Working with children checks

About working with children checks

A working with children check (WWCC) indicates whether a person is suitable to work with children.

People who work or volunteer in child-related work must usually hold a current WWCC.

WWCCs are required and issued under state and territory laws. The name of the check, requirements, and the application process is different in each state and territory.

Who needs a working with children check

Each state and territory has different requirements about who must have a WWCC.

Broadly, anyone who has contact with children at an early childhood education and care service must have a current WWCC. This will usually include:

• all educators
• persons with management or control (PMCs)
• persons responsible for the day-to-day operation of a service (persons responsible at the service).

In some jurisdictions, PMCs must have a WWCC even if they do not have direct contact with children.

Find out who needs a WWCC and apply for one via the WWCC regulator in your state or territory.

Find out more about PMCs and persons responsible at the service.

Working with children checks and Child Care Subsidy

A session of care is only eligible for Child Care Subsidy (CCS) if the educator that provided care holds a current WWCC.

For Family Day Care and In Home Care, sessions of care are only eligible for CCS if you have notified us of the educator’s WWCC.

If an educator does not have a current WWCC, or if you fail to notify us of a Family Day Care or In Home Care educator’s check to us, any sessions of care provided by the educator will not be eligible for CCS. We can raise a provider debt in this circumstance.

Your obligations

Under Family Assistance Law, providers have specific obligations regarding WWCCs. These are in addition to the obligations required by your state or territory government.

You must:

• ensure any person required by state or territory law to hold a WWCC, has a current check
• notify some checks in the Child Care Subsidy System within specific timeframes
• notify changes to checks in the Child Care Subsidy System within specific timeframes
• keep records of all checks and provide these to us on request.

The following table provides a quick reference about when you need to get the check, notify the check and record the check. We outline each obligation in more detail below.

Getting the check

You must ensure any person required by state or territory law to hold a WWCC has one.

This includes:

• all educators
• some PMCs and persons responsible at the service.

In some jurisdictions, PMCs must have a WWCC even if they do not have direct contact with children.

Some people may need more than one WWCC if they are connected to a provider who delivers care across multiple jurisdictions. We recommend you check with each relevant state or territory regulator.

The check must be:

• current
• obtained before the person started in the position.

Find out who needs a WWCC and apply for one via the WWCC regulator in your state or territory.

Notify the check

In certain circumstances, you must notify the check in the Child Care Subsidy System.

You must do this for:

• all Family Day Care educators
• all In Home Care educators
• any PMCs and persons responsible at the service that are required to have a WWCC, across all care types.

The following timeframes apply:

• you must notify new checks within 7 days of a person starting at your service
• you must notify any changes to an existing check within 24 hours of becoming aware of a change in status, including if a check is renewed, extended, suspended, revoked, or has lapsed or expired.

You must provide the following details:

• the WWCC identification number as issued by the state or territory
• the end date
• the state or territory who issued the check
• any changes to the check.

If an individual is required to have more than one WWCC because they work across multiple jurisdictions, you must notify the details of each WWCC.

Report WWCCs via the Provider Entry Point (PEP) or your third-party software.

Read our task card for help reporting in the PEP. If you use third-party software, contact your software provider for help.

Keeping records of the check

You must keep records of WWCCs for any person required to have one. You must provide written evidence or information of a check if we ask you for it.

What happens if you don’t follow the rules

We take your compliance with your child safety obligations very seriously.

For full details of these obligations refer to the Facts from Family Assistance Law

Remember, you must ensure all personnel required to have a WWCC, have one. This is a condition of your provider approval under Family Assistance Law.

Failure to get a check, notify a check, or record a check when required is a serious breach of the law.

We may take compliance action if you fail to meet your obligations. Compliance action could include:

• denying your application for CCS approval
• raising a provider debt
• issuing an infringement
• taking civil penalty action
• placing conditions on your approval
• suspending, varying or cancelling your approval.

Online learning

Complete the Working with children checks course in Geccko to learn more.

Learn more about Geccko