Working with Children Checks Changes: What Early Childhood Services Need to Know

Keeping children safe is a shared responsibility. From 19 October 2026, important changes to Victoria’s Working with Children (WWC) Check system will come into effect, introducing new requirements for organisations, workers and volunteers involved in child-related work. These reforms are designed to strengthen child safety and support organisations to make informed decisions about the people they engage to work with children.

For kindergarten teachers, educators, service leaders and committee members, it is important to understand what these changes mean and how to prepare.

What Is Changing?

Two significant reforms will commence on 19 October 2026:

1. Working with Children Connect (WWC Connect), a new online service for organisations and sole traders.
2. Mandatory online child safety training as part of the WWC Check application and renewal process.

What Is WWC Connect?

WWC Connect is a new online system that will require organisations engaging people in child-related work, including volunteers, to notify the Social Services Regulator when workers start or stop child-related work. The system will help maintain more accurate and up-to-date information about where WWC Clearance holders are working and support timely communication if a person’s clearance status changes.

Early childhood services should begin preparing now by ensuring workers’ and volunteers’ details are accurate and up to date, including:

• WWC Check card numbers
• Contact details
• Residential addresses
• Phone numbers

New Mandatory Child Safety Training

From 19 October 2026, mandatory online child safety training will be required for:

• New WWC Check applicants
• People renewing their WWC Clearance
• People changing from a volunteer clearance to an employee clearance

The training is designed to build a consistent understanding of child safety responsibilities and strengthen the capacity of Victoria’s child-related workforce to recognise, respond to and report concerns.

If you already hold a WWC Clearance, no immediate action is required. The training will be completed when your clearance is due for renewal.

Supporting Diverse Workforces

Many early childhood services employ staff and engage families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Service leaders may wish to begin discussing these changes with educators, volunteers and governance groups to ensure everyone understands the upcoming requirements and has adequate time to prepare.

Sharing information early can help staff and volunteers understand what will be expected of them and ensure compliance processes remain straightforward once the changes take effect.

Preparing Your Service

Early childhood services can prepare by:

• Reviewing current WWC Check processes.
• Confirming staff and volunteer details are accurate and up to date.
• Informing relevant leadership, HR and recruitment personnel about the changes.
• Sharing information about the new mandatory training requirements with staff and volunteers.

These reforms aim to strengthen safeguards for children while supporting organisations to maintain safe and compliant practices. By understanding the changes now, services can be well prepared when the new requirements commence in October.

For more information, visit the Victorian Government’s Changes to the Working with Children Check webpage.