The landscape of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) is shifting. As part of a broader national commitment to strengthening child safety, the new National Early Childhood Worker Register officially comes into effect on 27 February.
At Randstad Education, we know that administrative shifts can feel like a heavy lift for busy providers. However, this isn't just another database - it’s a move toward a "single source of truth" for the sector, designed to enhance transparency and safety across state lines.
Here is your essential guide to navigating the deadline and keeping your service compliant.
what is the national early childhood worker register?
The Register is a centralised, secure database managed by ACECQA within the National Quality Agenda IT System (NQA ITS). It provides regulatory authorities with real-time visibility into who is working in the sector, where they are engaged, and their current safety credentials.
key deadlines to mark in your calendar.
While the register "goes live" on February 27, there is a staggered grace period for data entry:
your pre-deadline checklist.
To ensure a smooth transition, we recommend providers focus on these four pillars of readiness:
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1. audit your staff records
You aren't necessarily collecting new types of data, but you are centralising it. Ensure your current records for all educators, volunteers, students, non-educator staff, supervisors, coordinators and FDC educator assistants include:
- Identity (name, DOB and any aliases)
- Contact Information (residential address, phone number, email)
- Role at the service
- Dates of commencement at the service and date of employment cessation (where relevant)
- Service approval number of the service they are engaged with
- Employment type (direct or indirect / agency or labour hire)
- For centre based services only - if they are employed on a 3-month probationary basis (not applicable for NSW)
- Current Working With Children Check (WWCC) or Vulnerable People Check (WWVP) or state equivalent (including expiry dates or teacher registration number and expiry date).
- Evidence of qualifications (or proof of "actively working towards" status).
- Teacher Registration details (where applicable).
- Evidence of having completed mandatory approved training and qualifications along with the expiry dates (where relevant): child protection, child safety, first aid, anaphylaxis management, emergency asthma management.
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2. verify "sighted" documents
ACECQA requires that all WWCC/WWVP checks and qualifications must be physically sighted by the provider. The date of this sighting must be recorded in the Register. If you don't have a record of when a document was last sighted, you will need to re-verify it before entry.
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3. update your HR workflows
The 14-day update rule means compliance is no longer a "once a year" task.
- Onboarding: Add Register entry to your new-starter checklist.
- Offboarding: Ensure end-dates are recorded immediately when a staff member leaves to maintain an accurate national picture.
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4. access the NQA ITS portal
Ensure your service’s administrators have active logins for the NQA ITS portal. You will have the option to enter data manually or via a bulk upload (Excel or JSON) if you have a large workforce.
streamlining compliance with relevate.
We understand that for many providers, the lead-up to February 27 has felt like a race against time. With the official ACECQA reporting templates just finalised last week, we know many in the sector are scrambling to consolidate data and update internal systems. At Randstad Education, we have already streamlined our internal processes and systems to ensure all agency staff data is verified and reporting-ready. Our objective is to facilitate a seamless experience for our partners, allowing you to meet your regulatory obligations with confidence and minimal administrative friction. Our Relevate technology platform is central to this support, providing a robust solution for your National Register requirements with:
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automated compliance tracking:
Relevate ensures that only educators with verified and current credentials - such as WWCC and qualifications - are placed in your shifts.
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direct access to documentation:
When a shift is filled, the portal automatically sends you the necessary compliance documentation for that candidate.
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centralised records:
Access a 24/7 overview of all bookings, including names and job titles of booked candidates, all in one secure location.
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global security protocols:
Our infrastructure is hosted on highly secure cloud platforms (AWS and Google Cloud), ensuring consistent security protocols and compliance with regional data residency requirements.
By leveraging Relevate, you gain greater workforce visibility and peace of mind, knowing that your contingent talent meets all labour regulations and governance requirements.
useful resources.
We highly recommend taking advantage of the ACECQA website, which offers a comprehensive library of resources to support providers through this transition. Their wealth of useful materials is designed to ensure no detail is overlooked and that you have a clear roadmap for meeting the full requirements of the National Register.
As your partner for talent, Randstad Education is committed to these safety standards. We ensure that every educator we provide is fully vetted, with their credentials ready for your records and in the format required for reporting requirements.
Contact us on 1300 360 014 to learn more.
jeannou stijns
national director - randstad education
