The Victorian Liberals and Nationals will today introduce new legislation to overhaul and strengthen Victoria's broken Working With Children Check (WWCC) system.
The Worker Screening Amendment (Safety of Children) Bill 2025 is designed to implement recommendations made by the Victorian Ombudsman in 2022 to strengthen Victoria's WWCC system and action the Liberals and Nationals' six-point plan, Safe from the Start, to protect children in childcare.
These recommendations expand the basis upon which a WWCC can be revoked or refused and empower assessors to take into account a broader range of relevant information and risk factors when determining an applicant's suitability.
Despite being urged to implement these reforms in 2022, the Allan Labor Government has failed to do so, placing Victorian children at heightened risk.
Allegations of child sexual abuse in Victorian childcare settings have exposed gaping holes in Victoria's child protection system and highlighted the urgent need for reform to begin restoring confidence in the system.
The Liberals and Nationals' Worker Screening Amendment (Safety of Children) Bill will:
• Empower Working With Children Check Victoria to act upon information that indicates a WWCC applicant or holder poses an unacceptable risk to the safety of children, regardless of whether criminal charges have been laid.
• Provide a general discretion to refuse a WWCC where giving a clearance "would pose an unjustifiable risk to the safety of children".
• Give immediate effect to any decision to refuse, suspend or revoke a WWCC.
• List WWCC applicants and holders in the Law Enforcement Assistance Program database to ensure that any concerning interactions with Victoria Police, such as alleged criminal behaviour, family violence incidents, or missing persons reports trigger early warnings.
• Reduce the validity from five years to three years for an employee WWCC, and require evidence of recent training in the Child Safe Standards and mandatory reporting requirements when granting or renewing professional clearances.
• Require applicants to undertake mandatory online training about child sexual abuse, together with other forms of abuse and violation.
Shadow Attorney-General, Michael O'Brien, said: "Victoria's Working With Children checks are the weakest in the nation because Labor has sat on their hands and kept these loopholes open, despite the Ombudsman's warning three years ago."
"For the sake of our kids, Premier - if you're serious about child safety then support our Bill, change the law and close these loopholes immediately."
Shadow Minister for Education, Jess Wilson, said: "We can't afford to wait for another review to start to fix a fundamentally broken system that is putting children at risk today.
"This is a commonsense Bill based on recommendations made by the Victorian Ombudsman years ago. If Labor is serious about the safety of children, they will work with us and pass these laws today.
"This is a test of leadership for the Premier - will she prioritise the safety of children and work with the Liberals and Nationals to close dangerous loopholes by supporting the legislation tabled in the Parliament today?"
