Why Australia needs a national working with children check to protect our kids

Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children is a responsibility that must be met with the highest standards everywhere in Australia. Currently, working with children checks (WWCCs) are managed on a state and territory basis, leaving gaps and inconsistencies that undermine the protection of our children. This fragmented approach means children’s safety depends on where they live, which is simply not good enough.

Sign the petition here: help us keep all Aussie kids safe

The current landscape: state-based checks

In Australia, each state and territory runs its own WWCC system governed by different laws, criteria and processes. Some states, like New South Wales and Victoria, have checks valid for five years, while others have shorter durations and different scopes. This means a person cleared in one jurisdiction is not automatically cleared in another. For those working or volunteering with children across state lines, it means extra hassle, duplication and cost to obtain multiple clearances.

Plus inconsistent definitions of what constitutes child-related work and varying thresholds for disqualifying offences have created uneven standards of protection. These discrepancies make it possible for individuals barred in one state to be approved elsewhere, putting children’s safety at risk. Sharing critical information about misconduct or risk across jurisdictions is often limited, meaning the system fails to track and monitor potential threats effectively.

Why the current system is inadequate

The current patchwork approach to WWCC creates significant vulnerabilities:

• inconsistent standards: different states use varying criteria and definitions for screenings and disqualifications, leading to uneven protection levels for children

• poor information sharing: fragmented processes limit the ability to quickly share vital criminal and misconduct records interstate, creating loopholes exploitable by offenders

• barriers to workforce mobility: workers in education, childcare, disability services and community organisations face repeated processing, fees and delays when working across borders, which can reduce child-safe workforce availability

• lack of national oversight: with no central body to enforce uniform standards or monitor compliance, systemic weaknesses are harder to identify and address promptly

The path forward: a national working with children check

A unified national WWCC system would create one consistent standard of protection for all Australian children, no matter where they live or work. It would:

• ensure consistent child safety: a single national framework would eliminate jurisdictional loopholes, ensuring no child is at greater risk due to geography
• improve information sharing: centralised data systems would enable real-time sharing of criminal and misconduct information across all states and territories
• facilitate workforce flexibility: one national check would reduce cost, duplication and delays for professionals and volunteers working with children in multiple locations
• strengthen compliance and accountability: national oversight would ensure all providers and organisations uphold the highest standards of child safety with transparent auditing

The National Office for Child Safety and governments across the country are working towards such reform under the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021–2030. However, the complete establishment of a national system is yet to be finalised.

Support the call for a national WWCC

You Can Sit With Me celebrates 10 years in 2025 of fostering communities where every child feels safe, supported and connected. It is urging national leaders to support a single national working with children check.

Right now, the existing state-based systems are simply not good enough. Every child deserves the same level of protection regardless of their postcode or circumstances.

You can make a difference today by signing the petition calling for a national WWCC that protects all Australian children equally, no matter where they live. It only takes a minute, but that minute could save lives.

Sign the petition here: help us keep all Aussie kids safe

Why this matters

Children deserve to be protected from harm wherever they are. Fragmented and inconsistent systems create dangerous blind spots. A national WWCC is a common-sense reform supported by child safety experts, community organisations and frontline workers.

You Can Sit With Me has long championed inclusion and safety for children in schools and communities. Their campaign highlights a broader truth: protecting children is most effective when united under clear, strong and consistent national policies that empower all Australians to keep kids safe.

In summary

• Australia’s current state and territory WWCC systems are inconsistent and inadequate to fully protect children

• A national WWCC would ensure one unified standard, improved information sharing, workforce mobility and stronger oversight

• The YOU CAN SIT WITH ME organisation actively campaigns for this reform, celebrating a decade of making inclusive spaces safe for children

• Everyone is invited to sign the petition to urge leaders to act and implement a national WWCC that truly keeps all Aussie kids safe

Protecting children is a collective responsibility. A national working with children check is the critical next step to ensuring Australia’s most precious citizens, our children, are safe, supported and included wherever they live or learn.

YOU CAN SIT WITH ME is an inclusive, evidence-based, peer-led program reducing school refusal, social isolation, bullying, exclusion and non inclusive behaviour.

YOU CAN SIT WITH ME provides free programs for schools, sporting clubs and community groups.  

Please consider supporting education for children across Australia. Your generous, fully tax deductible donation can help make a real difference in many young lives. Thank you for your kindness.