What you need to know about the New National Education Register, becoming mandatory from February 2026

A New National Educator Register: Strengthening Visibility, Accountability & Child Safety in ECEC

By BEST Childcare Consulting

Australia’s early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector is entering a new chapter in workforce accountability and child safety. Education Ministers have commissioned ACECQA to establish a National Educator Register—a landmark initiative designed to bring greater transparency, oversight, and consistency across the sector.

For the first time, every educator, teacher, coordinator, volunteer, and support worker in ECEC services will be recorded in a single national system. This foundational register, integrated into the National Quality Agenda IT System (NQA ITS), will provide regulators, providers, and families with confidence that the people caring for children are qualified, checked, and accountable.

More than just a compliance measure, the register represents a cultural shift. It is about lifting professional standards, closing gaps in child safety protections, and giving governments the data needed to better plan and support the workforce. While challenges exist—including privacy, workload, and consistency across states—the register is an opportunity for services to show leadership and commitment to exceeding practice.

Testing will begin in December 2025, with full mandatory use from February 2026. Now is the time for services to prepare, so that when the register launches, they are not only compliant but also positioned as leaders in child safety and professional excellence.

What is the National Educator Register?

The register will be integrated into the existing National Quality Agenda IT System (NQA ITS).
It is intended to collect and maintain data for all personnel working (or volunteering) in ECEC services—educators, teachers, assistants, coordinators, family day care staff, students, volunteers, and non-teaching staff.
Key data captured will include:
1. Identity and contact information
2. Role and service location(s)
3. Employment start and end dates
4. Qualifications held or underway
5. First aid and other mandatory training
6. Working With Children Check (or equivalent) numbers and expiry dates
7. Teacher registration status (where applicable)

Educators will not need to self-register. Instead, approved providers will enter and maintain staff details.

The roll-out is planned in phases: testing in December 2025 and mandatory use from February 2026.

Why is this being implemented now?

The impetus for this reform lies in long-recognised gaps in workforce transparency and child safety safeguards. Some of the driving factors include:

Lack of visibility and cohesion in educator data: Currently, there is no unified system tracking where educators have worked, their credentials, or whether red flags exist across jurisdictions.
Child safety concerns: High-profile incidents and reviews (e.g. Operation Tenterfield, and broader concerns in the Review of Child Safety Arrangements under the NQF) have underscored the need for stronger oversight across state lines.
Regulatory strengthening as part of broader reforms: The register is one element in a broader package of changes approved by Ministers aimed at boosting safety and regulatory compliance in ECEC.
Better policy planning & workforce forecasting: With more consistent, real-time data, governments and sector bodies can better understand workforce shortages, mobility, qualification trends, and risk patterns.

While the foundational version is not a licensing or registration scheme per se, Ministers have asked ACECQA to scope the potential for evolving the register into a full national educator registration scheme in future phases.

What are the expected benefits?

Stronger regulatory oversight & risk detection
With centralized and up-to-date data, regulatory authorities can more proactively spot workforce risks (e.g. frequent job changes, gaps in training, lapses in checks).
Streamlined compliance for providers
Approved providers will have a single system to meet staffing record obligations under the National Law, reducing fragmentation across jurisdictions.
Better sector planning & transparency
Governments, education bodies, and researchers gain a clearer picture of workforce movements, training gaps, attrition trends, and service needs.
Enhanced child safety
By better tracking credentials, checks, and statuses across services, the register supports stronger protections and reduces opportunities for individuals to “slip through the cracks.”
Foundational for future reforms
The register is a building block — future expansions could link to identity verification, integrate with state-based Working With Children Checks, or transform into a regulatory registration scheme.

Challenges, Risks & Considerations

While the new register is a positive step, several challenges will need careful attention. One of the biggest concerns is data management and integrity. Because providers are responsible for entering and updating information, the system is only as strong as the accuracy and timeliness of those records. Any delays or errors could compromise the value of the register.
Privacy and security also sit at the forefront. With sensitive personal and professional data held in a national database, there must be robust protections, encryption, and breach protocols in place to safeguard educators’ details and uphold community trust.
Consistency across jurisdictions will be another hurdle. Each state and territory currently operates under slightly different frameworks for Working With Children Checks, teacher registration, and compliance obligations. Aligning these under a single national platform will require significant collaboration and legislative alignment.
There is also the question of administrative burden. For large organisations, data entry processes may be absorbed into existing systems, but for small or regional services, the workload may be significant without additional support or funding. Equity of access will need to be addressed so that no service is disadvantaged.
Finally, the register’s reliance on provider entry presents a risk. Unlike a self-registration model where individuals are accountable for their own record, this approach means services carry the responsibility for completeness and accuracy. If not managed well, omissions could limit the register’s effectiveness in achieving its goals.

What’s Next? Timeline & What Providers Should Do

Testing phase: From December 2025, the register will be piloted (with a subset of providers) to validate processes, data flows, and user interfaces.
Mandatory rollout: From February 2026, all approved ECEC services will be required to use the register.
Further guidance & legislation: ACECQA and jurisdictions will issue guidance materials, training resources, and legal amendments to support compliance.

What providers and stakeholders can start doing now:

Audit current staff records to ensure completeness, consistency, and accuracy (e.g. ensure WWCC numbers, training records, employment dates are up to date).
Familiarise staff with the proposed scope and functions of the register to anticipate workflow changes.
Engage in upcoming consultations to raise practical concerns, especially from smaller services or those in remote regions.
Assess technical readiness (IT systems, data management processes) to ensure ability to interface or input data into the register.
Budget for potential administrative burden, training, and support costs associated with implementation.

Useful Links

ACECQA – New National Educator Register https://www.acecqa.gov.au/new-national-educator-register

Department of Education – Joint Action on Child Safety

Review of Child Safety Arrangements under the NQF (ACECQA, 2023)

ACA Briefing Paper: National Educator Register (July 2025) https://childcarealliance.org.au/doclink/aca-briefing-paper-national-educator-register-july-2025-1

The Sector – Foundational National Educator Register article

BEST Childcare Consulting

At BEST Childcare Consulting, we know that regulatory changes can feel daunting. The introduction of the National Educator Register is not just about compliance—it’s about raising the bar in safety, accountability, and professionalism across our sector. By preparing now, your service can demonstrate leadership, build trust with families, and show a strong commitment to exceeding practice. Together, we can turn regulation into opportunity—building safer, stronger, and more respected early childhood services.