Frequently asked questions

If your organisation delivers work that spans different sector types, you should be compliant across your organisation at the earliest of the commencement dates for your sectors.

For example, disability services for children will need to be compliant with the Child Safe Standards from 1 October 2025, and health services from 1 January 2026. If your organisation provides disability and health services for children, you’ll need to be compliant across your organisation by 1 October 2025.

Yes. Compliance obligations apply at a broad organisational level, rather than to specific service streams or parts of an entity.

If your organisation is operating across multiple jurisdictions, only the services you provide within Queensland will need to comply with the Child Safe Organisations requirements.

However, similar frameworks exist in other states and territories, so you will find similar compliance obligations apply across your organisation. This includes some of your key documents like a Children’s Safety and Wellbeing Policy and a Code of Conduct, which should or could apply uniformly across your organisation.

If you’re already operating in other jurisdictions with Child Safe requirements you’ll likely be well-placed to comply with your new obligations under Queensland law.

Not unless you also provide services or facilities specifically for children. For example, an indoor play centre that employs junior staff will need to comply, but a supermarket that employs junior staff will not.

You will still need to comply with your obligations under other laws to provide a safe workplace for your staff – for example, Queensland’s Work Health and Safety Act and Anti-Discrimination Act.

Yes. All Australian states and territories have committed to implementing the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations or similar Child Safe Standards. While each jurisdiction takes a slightly different approach, they all share a commitment to improving the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. 

Victoria was the first jurisdiction to introduce Child Safe Standards in law, in 2016. Since then, NSW, Tasmania and Queensland have followed. Western Australia has legislation proposed, and the Northern Territory, ACT and South Australia are working to align their child safe frameworks with the National Principles. 

No – the Child Safe Standards require organisations to consider how they protect children from harm, regardless of whether the harm is caused by an adult or another child.

See our Resources webpage for tools to help you prepare. We’re also developing training for organisations working on compliance which will be available soon. 

See our Training hub for information on online training to support you and your staff. We’re also currently developing a suite of training resources to support organisations to learn about their obligations under the Child Safe Organisations system. These will be made available soon.

No, there is no specific training package you’ll need to complete – but an ongoing commitment to building your staff’s knowledge and skills through education and training is required to comply with one of the Child Safe Standards. Your approach to training should be tailored to the needs of your organisation – you can find some tips in our Quick Reference Guide or consult our Detailed guidelines for more.

Not necessarily. Our Detailed guidelines have been developed to help you implement the Standards and the Universal Principle in your business or organisation. The way you implement them will rely on your unique situation and how your business or organisation operates, so the Guidelines are not prescriptive or intended to operate as a one-size-fits-all checklist. They provide a range of things for you to consider and adapt depending on your business or organisation.

Using the guidelines alongside our Self-Assessment Tool helps you determine where these may or may not apply to you, but you should always be considering how your actions can elevate the safety, wellbeing and cultural safety of children.

The Guidelines have been developed to help you implement the Standards and the Universal Principle in your business or organisation. The way you implement them will rely on your unique situation and how your business or organisation operates, so the Guidelines are not prescriptive or intended to operate as a one-size-fits-all checklist. They provide a range of things for you to consider and adapt depending on your business or organisation.

Using our Detailed guidelines along with our Self-Assessment Tool helps you to assess things which may not be relevant to your circumstances. If something isn’t relevant for your situation, note it in the self-assessment.

For example, if a suggested action is to make policies available via your website and you don’t have one, it doesn’t mean you need to create a website – think about other ways you can make the information available, like on a sign or by using your social media. Document these matters as you work through your implementation.

Yes. You can do this in two ways:

1. Voluntarily implement the Child Safe Standards and Universal Principle. This means you don’t have to comply with the Act but you are still working to keep children safe when they interact with your organisation or business.
2. Opt in as a child safe entity under the Act, via a written request to the Minister. If accepted, this means you will be declared a child safe entity and therefore required to comply with the obligations under the Act.

The Child Safe Organisations Act lists the categories of organisations who will need to implement a Reportable Conduct Scheme. These are called ‘reporting entities’ and include: 

• Government entities
• Child protection, justice and detention services
• Education and health services, and services for children with disability
• Early childhood education and care services
• Accommodation and residential services
• Religious bodies.

See our Timeline webpage for more information on what these categories cover.

The Reportable Conduct Scheme will commence from 1 July 2026 and will be introduced through a staged approach, with all reporting entities required to comply by 1 July 2027.

Find out when your sector needs to comply on our Timeline webpage.

Under the legislation, a reporting entity must have systems in place to:

• prevent reportable conduct by workers and volunteers
• enable anyone to notify the head of the entity of a concern
• allow people to report concerns about the head of the entity directly to the Queensland Family and Child Commission
• investigate and respond to allegations.

A system may include a policy, practice or procedure.

Once the head of an entity is told of a concern, they must:

1. Notify us at the Commission with an initial report, within 3 business days
2. Commence an investigation, as soon as practicable.

Any criminal matters uncovered during the investigation need to be reported to the police.

If the investigation is complete within 30 business days of the initial concern being reported, the head of the entity needs to provide a final report to us at the Commission.

If the investigation has not been completed within 30 business days, the head of the entity needs to provide an interim report to us. A final report should be provided as soon as the investigation is complete.

Guidance on conducting investigations and making reports will be made available before your obligations under the Reportable Conduct Scheme commence.

Guidance on conducting investigations and reporting requirements will be developed and made available in the coming months.

How the Child Safe Standards are implemented will look different for each organisation depending on your sector, size and scale, and the kind of work you do with children – so there is no one-size-fits-all test for compliance. Organisations which are child safe will actively prioritise and promote children’s safety and wellbeing, manage risks, and respond to concerns quickly and effectively.

We’ve developed a Self-Assessment Tool to help you see where you’re at in your journey to being child safe. This is the best way to assess your current readiness and plan the actions you’ll need to take to be able to demonstrate compliance.

Remember that implementing the Standards is not a set-and-forget activity – continuous monitoring and improvement is required to maintain compliance.

No – there is no intention of creating a register of organisations who are complying with obligations under the Act.

We are developing information for children, families and the broader community to educate them on what they can expect from an organisation that is operating in a child safe way.

In some circumstances, but not for every organisation who will need to comply. We are responsible for monitoring and enforcing the implementation of the Act. As part of this work we might direct your organisation to conduct a self-assessment, and/or request evidence to show you are complying with your obligations – for example, that you have specific policies and procedures in place.

There is no requirement for every organisation required to comply with the Child Safe Standards to submit an application or paperwork to us as part of their implementation.
 

Yes. We are responsible for monitoring and enforcing the implementation of the Act. As part of this work we might direct you to conduct a self-assessment, and/or request evidence to show you are complying with your obligations – for example, that you have specific policies and procedures in place.

We’re working with other regulators on the best way to manage monitoring, auditing and compliance activity for organisations who also fall under other regulatory schemes – for example, the Human Services Quality Framework for government-funded community organisations.

No. The self-assessment tool is designed to support internal reflection and improvement — it’s not for submitting to us for review or approval.

It depends on your sector. See our Timeline webpage for when obligations for different sectors commence.

No. Blue Cards form an important part of employment screening for people who work with children, but on their own they’re not enough for your business or organisation to be considered compliant as a Child Safe Organisation – you’ll also need to demonstrate you’re meeting the 10 Child Safe Standards. The Standards go beyond your employment practices and consider a range of organisational factors like your leadership and governance, how you involve and engage children and families in your decision-making, how you manage complaints and how you promote equity and diversity.

There have been recent changes to the Blue Card system which impact who needs to hold a Blue Card. These changes are not part of the Child Safe Organisations system and started coming into effect from 1 July 2025.

The Blue Card website has further information about the changes here, and a list of who requires a Blue Card here.

Yes. Blue Cards form an important part of employment screening for people who work with children, but on their own they’re not enough for your business or organisation to be considered compliant as a Child Safe Organisation – you’ll also need to demonstrate you’re meeting the 10 Child Safe Standards. The Standards go beyond your employment practices and consider a range of organisational factors like your leadership and governance, how you involve and engage children and families in your decision-making, how you manage complaints and how you promote equity and diversity.

The CYRMS requirement under the Working with Children Act will no longer apply once you need to be compliant with the Child Safe Standards – however, the Standards include a requirement to effectively manage and mitigate risks.

The mandatory requirements of a CYRMS closely align with the Child Safe Standards, so many organisations will find their existing CYRMS an extremely helpful document in their road to compliance with the Standards.

In the same way, having a CYRMS does not mean an organisation is already compliant with the Standards.

Not unless we ask you for it. There is no need for organisations to submit any paperwork to the Commission to prove compliance unless we request it.

We are responsible for monitoring and enforcing the implementation of the Act. As part of this work we might direct you to conduct a self-assessment, and/or request evidence to show you are complying with your obligations – for example, that you have specific policies and procedures in place. If we ask for these documents, you’ll need to supply them.

A child safe organisation puts the safety, wellbeing, and voices of children and young people at the centre of everything it does. Signs to look for include:

• Clear policies about child safety and behaviour expectations for staff and volunteers
• Staff and volunteers are welcoming and respectful, and seem confident in working safely with children
• Children and families are encouraged to speak up, provide feedback, or raise concerns
• It’s clear how to make a complaint or report a concern
• Action is taken to respond to complaints or concerns
• Children, young people and families are actively involved in decisions that affect them.

You can also ask the organisation directly how they meet the Child Safe Standards. A genuinely child safe organisation will be transparent, open to feedback, and able to explain how they create a safe environment for children and young people. If something doesn’t feel right, you have the right to ask questions or raise concerns. Everyone has a role to play in keeping children safe.

If you believe a child is in immediate danger contact the Queensland Police – call 000.

If you are concerned about a child you think may be experiencing harm or neglect, you need to contact the Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety, who are responsible for child protection in Queensland.

If you have a concern about a business or organisation, raise it directly with them if you feel safe to do so. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to the organisation, or if your concern hasn’t been addressed, you can get in touch with their head office if they have one, or the relevant government department or regulatory body for their sector.

Once organisations are required to implement the Child Safe Standards (you can find the dates for this on our Timeline webpage), you can make a report to us if you are concerned they are not complying with their obligations. Information on how to do this will be made available after obligations commence.

Some sectors working with children will be required to introduce a Reportable Conduct Scheme from 1 July 2026. This will provide clear responsibilities for responding to and investigating concerns of harm. You can find out more on our Reportable Conduct Scheme webpage.

Remember, you don’t need to have all the details — if something doesn’t feel right, it’s okay to ask questions or raise a concern. It’s always better to act early than stay silent.

Under the Act, ‘child safe entity’ is the term used for organisations which have to implement the Child Safe Standards and Universal Principle.

Child safe entities are organisations that provide:

• activities, programs and/or services specifically for children
  or
• facilities specifically for use by children who are supervised by the organisation.

There are several categories of child safe entities listed in the Act. They include organisations working in the child protection, youth justice, health, disability, education, and early childhood sectors. Find out more about who is included on our Timeline webpage.

Generally speaking, individual people are not considered a child safe entity unless they operate as a sole trader providing services or facilities to children – for example, a children’s photographer or party entertainer.

Services specifically for children means that some or all of the entity’s services, activities and/or programs are particularly aimed at children or have a special application for children in the way that they are provided.

If you provide services for both children and adults you might still be considered a child safe entity, if your services have a particular purpose for, or application to children.

For example, a bus service for a local community and used by all members of the public, including but not specifically for children, would not be a child safe entity under the Act – but if an education and care service engages a bus to pick children up and drop them home, that bus service is a child safe entity as it is specifically for children.

If one bus service provided offered BOTH of those services, then that bus service provider is a ‘child safe entity’, because the Act applies to the organisation, not individual parts of its service delivery.

Child Safe Organisations and Child Safety are separate.

Child Safe Organisations is the system coming into effect in Queensland from 1 October 2025, to protect children from harm when they interact with businesses and organisations.

If you work with children or provide services or spaces for them, the Child Safe Organisations system requires you to meet the Child Safe Standards, and in some cases a Reportable Conduct Scheme.

Child safety refers to the child protection system, or the department which oversees it. They are required to comply with the obligations under the Child Safe Organisations system.

‘Reportable conduct’ refers to behaviour, allegations or convictions relating to child harm. Under the Act the definition includes physical or sexual violence, neglect, ill-treatment, and behaviour that causes emotional or psychological harm.

It doesn’t have to be repeated to constitute reportable conduct: just once is enough. See our Reportable Conduct Scheme webpage for more information.

Under the Act, ‘reporting entity’ is the term used for organisations who have to implement a Reportable Conduct Scheme. Find out more about the scheme on our Reportable Conduct Scheme webpage.