The ACT Education Directorate has been compelled to release a cache of more than 2000 documents relating to incidents and complaints within Canberra's childcare sector, spanning the past five years.
The documents, covering over 300 centres across the territory, were tabled with the Assembly Clerk on December 24, 2025, following a motion moved by Kurrajong independent MLA Thomas Emerson.
Scope and Nature of the Released Documents
The released material includes a wide array of notifications, with more than half stemming from direct parental complaints or incident reports forwarded by centres to the regulator. The documents outline a spectrum of issues reported between 2020 and 2025.
Some records detail alleged procedural failures, such as staff not wearing gloves when required. Others note incidents of student-on-student violence or reports to police about adults loitering outside facilities, though no children were harmed in those specific cases.
The files also contain allegations of serious misconduct by educators, including individuals charged with acts of indecency. Among the 967 compliance documents are prohibition notices, compliance notices, and show cause notices issued to centres.
Furthermore, 22 briefs to the minister provide details on significant events, including a 2022 case where a child ingested a death cap mushroom.
A Rising Tide of Complaints and Investigations
Annual reports referenced in the release show a stark increase in formal complaints to the ACT's childcare regulator over the past five years. The figure has risen from 796 in the 2016-17 period to 2127 in 2024-25.
In the most recent reporting year, the regulator commenced 82 investigations based on the complaints received. This trend underscores growing scrutiny and reporting within the early childhood education and care sector.
The motion for disclosure was initially prompted by childcare workers who raised concerns about sector treatment with Mr Emerson, mirroring similar actions taken in New South Wales.
Mr Emerson stated the document release would help clarify whether there are systemic concerns with how the industry is regulated. A dedicated team within the Education Directorate spent six months processing and redacting the files, a task described as a significant strain on resources, which led to a narrowing of the initial document search parameters.
Process and Next Steps
The documents are currently being processed by the Assembly Clerk's office. Their public release marks a significant step towards transparency in the sector, providing parents and the community with previously unseen data on centre performance and regulatory action.
The move highlights ongoing challenges in childcare regulation and safety, setting the stage for potential policy reviews and increased public debate about standards in the ACT.
