The prime minister says federal funding and potential cancellation of payments will be used as a threat to “drive the change” for safety in childcare centres, as governments scramble to respond to shocking allegations of abuse in early education centres.
More safety training for childcare workers, CCTV in centres and changes to working with children checks are on the agenda for federal and state authorities. Under new federal legislation revealed on Wednesday, childcare centres could lose federal funding from just one safety breach “strike”.