Childcare CCTV in Australia: What Parents Should Ask
If you are looking at childcare right now, cameras are probably on your mind. Childcare CCTV in Australia has moved from a nice extra to a national conversation, with education ministers discussing it as recently as 2 November 2026. Here is what that discussion means for your family, the questions worth asking any centre about cameras, and the other signs that tell you a centre is safe.
What is happening with CCTV in Australian childcare?
In August 2025, federal, state and territory education ministers agreed to a package of childcare safety reforms that included a CCTV trial, a national register of educators, a ban on mobile phones in centres and mandatory child safety training for all workers. The trial was planned for up to 300 small and medium services and was funded through a $189 million federal package.
That work became the National Assessment of CCTV use in early childhood settings. It drew on information from more than 300 services and was supported by an expert panel that included the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Centre for Child Protection. It looked at privacy, data storage, safety and how cameras work day to day in different services.
At their meeting on 2 November 2026, ministers considered the findings and agreed to develop national best practice guidance on CCTV. The assessment was set up to inform nationally consistent guidance, not a national rollout. So for now there is no single national rule that every centre must have cameras. That makes your own questions on a tour more important.
Does CCTV make a childcare centre safe?
CCTV helps, but it is one layer of safety, not the whole answer. Cameras can support investigations and help resolve complaints. In one recent Queensland case, CCTV footage was critical to the outcome in court.
What cameras cannot do is replace educators who are present, alert and responsive. As we put it in our own safety approach, technology is never a substitute for active, physical supervision. A centre with cameras and too few educators on the floor is not a safe centre. The best sign is a centre where cameras back up good supervision, rather than stand in for it.
8 questions to ask a childcare centre about CCTV
Bring these to your next tour. A good centre will be happy to answer them clearly.
1. Which areas do your cameras cover, indoors and outdoors?
2. Which areas are not covered for privacy, such as toilets and nappy change areas? The national trial excluded toilets and change rooms.
3. Who can view the footage, and when?
4. How long is footage kept, and how is it stored securely? Footage security was a key focus for ministers.
5. Is footage watched live, reviewed after an incident, or both?
6. Can parents ask about footage if there is a concern, and what is the process?
7. Is there a written CCTV policy you can share?
8. How do cameras fit with your supervision, so they never replace educators in the room?
There are no trick answers here. You are looking for a centre that has thought it through and can explain it in plain words.
Beyond cameras: how to tell if a childcare centre is safe
Cameras are easy to spot on a tour. These everyday practices matter just as much:
• Ratios: Ask how the centre checks it is meeting educator-to-child ratios through the day, and whether it rosters above the minimum.
• Phones: Ask whether educators keep personal phones and smart watches away while caring for children. A national phone ban in centres was part of the 2025 reforms.
• Emergency drills: Ask how often the centre practises fire evacuations and what happens on the day.
• Entry and collection: Ask how the building is secured and how the centre checks who collects each child.
• Staff and visitors: In Queensland, the Blue Card is the working with children check. Ask whether visitors and contractors need one too, and what child protection training educators complete.
• Consistent faces: Ask whether the centre uses agency staff. Familiar educators get to know each child and notice when something is not right.
If you want a longer checklist, our guide to the most important questions to ask before enrolling covers food, learning, communication and fees as well.
How Evolution Early Learning approaches safety at Mooloolaba and Kuluin
At Evolution Early Learning, safety and transparency sit at the heart of how we run both centres. Here is what families can expect:
• CCTV indoors and out: We have CCTV throughout indoor and outdoor areas, alongside in-person supervision at all times.
• Frequent ratio checks: We run frequent ratio checks and intentionally roster above the minimum required educator-to-child ratios.
• Monthly fire evacuation drills: Every month, educators and the children in our care practise evacuating safely.
• Access-controlled centres: Entry is controlled, and we follow strict sign-in and collection procedures so only authorised people can collect a child.
• No personal devices: Educators do not use personal phones, smart watches or other personal devices while caring for children.
• Blue Cards and training: Visitors and external contractors must hold a Blue Card, and all staff receive centre-paid annual child protection training.
• Familiar educators: We directly recruit our educators and have not relied on agency staff since opening, with non-contact management supporting educators and families.
Evolution Early Learning has been independently owned since opening in 2018, with Approved Provider Ara Phillips actively involved in day-to-day direction. That means if you have a question about safety, you can talk directly with the people who make the decisions. You can read more in how we keep your child safe every day.
How Evolution Early Learning approaches safety at Mooloolaba and Kuluin
At Evolution Early Learning, safety and transparency sit at the heart of how we run both centres. Here is what families can expect:
• CCTV indoors and out: We have CCTV throughout indoor and outdoor areas, alongside in-person supervision at all times.
• Frequent ratio checks: We run frequent ratio checks and intentionally roster above the minimum required educator-to-child ratios.
• Monthly fire evacuation drills: Every month, educators and the children in our care practise evacuating safely.
• Access-controlled centres: Entry is controlled, and we follow strict sign-in and collection procedures so only authorised people can collect a child.
• No personal devices: Educators do not use personal phones, smart watches or other personal devices while caring for children.
• Blue Cards and training: Visitors and external contractors must hold a Blue Card, and all staff receive centre-paid annual child protection training.
• Familiar educators: We directly recruit our educators and have not relied on agency staff since opening, with non-contact management supporting educators and families.
Evolution Early Learning has been independently owned since opening in 2018, with Approved Provider Ara Phillips actively involved in day-to-day direction. That means if you have a question about safety, you can talk directly with the people who make the decisions. You can read more in how we keep your child safe every day.
Childcare CCTV in Australia: what it means for your family
National guidance on childcare CCTV in Australia is on the way, but you do not need to wait for it to make a confident choice. Ask where the cameras are, who sees the footage and how it is kept safe. Then look past the cameras to ratios, drills, phones, entry and the educators themselves.
The best way to judge any centre is to see it for yourself. Book a tour of our Mooloolaba centre or Kuluin centre, bring your questions, and we will walk you through every safety measure in person. Book a tour today.
FAQs
Is CCTV mandatory in childcare centres in Australia?
Not as a single national rule right now. In November 2026 education ministers agreed to develop national best practice guidance on CCTV after a national assessment involving more than 300 services. That assessment was designed to inform consistent guidance rather than a national rollout.
Can parents watch childcare CCTV footage?
It depends on each centre's CCTV policy and privacy rules, so ask the centre directly. A good centre can explain who can view footage, when, and how it is stored securely. Footage security was a key focus when ministers agreed to trial CCTV.
Are there cameras in childcare toilets and nappy change areas?
They should not be. The national CCTV trial placed cameras in all areas of participating centres except toilets and change rooms. Ask any centre which areas are covered and which are kept private.
Does Evolution Early Learning have CCTV?
Yes. Evolution Early Learning has CCTV throughout indoor and outdoor areas at its centres, along with frequent ratio checks and monthly fire evacuation drills. Cameras support in-person supervision, and never replace it.
What else should I check to know a childcare centre is safe?
Look beyond cameras to ratios, personal phone rules, emergency drills, secure entry and collection, and Blue Card checks for staff and visitors. Ask whether the centre uses agency staff, because familiar educators get to know each child.
See every safety measure for yourself. Book a tour of our Mooloolaba or Kuluin centre and bring your questions about CCTV, ratios and drills. evolutionearlylearning.com.au/contact
Book A Tour
Book a tour at either of our Mooloolaba or Kuluin childcare centres to fully experience our philosophy.
Ready to get started? Complete our enrolment form today.
Looking for a rewarding career at Evolution Early Learning?
We are always looking for professionals who are as passionate and dedicated as we are in creating and delivering high-quality outcomes for children.
Whether you have been in the industry for years, or just starting. Apply today and be part of a leading childcare provider on the Sunshine Coast!