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- Background
The Child Safe Organisations system was recommended by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Royal Commission) in 2017 and is underpinned by a child rights, strengths-based approach.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard from thousands of Australians about their experiences as victim-survivors of abuse. The stories they shared about the abuse they were subjected to within a wide range of institutions, from religious and educational settings to the military, led to significant changes in how we understand child sexual abuse, who perpetrates it, and how.
The Royal Commission emphasised that members of the public, children, young people, parents, carers, families and communities should be confident that organisations working with children provide safe environments where children’s rights, needs and interests are met. It identified specific elements that institutions should adopt to be child safe, and its final report proposed 10 National Principles to provide guidance to organisations about how to achieve effective safeguarding.
The 10 National Principles were endorsed by all states and territories in 2019 and since then have been, or are in the process of being, adopted into state-based child safeguarding legislation. Queensland’s Child Safe Organisations Act, and the accompanying system to take effect from 1 October 2025, is a direct result of this.
The Child Safe Standards and the Universal Principle under Queensland’s law aim to make prevention a collective institutional responsibility. They align Queensland with national and international child protection standards, ensuring we are a leader in safeguarding children.
You can read more about the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse on their website, including their recommendations and final report.
On 12 June 2024, the Queensland Government introduced the Child Safe Organisations Bill 2024 (the Bill) to Parliament. The Bill establishes an integrated child safe organisations system in Queensland that includes:
- mandatory child safe standards by in-scope organisations
- a nationally consistent reportable conduct scheme for certain organisations.
The Bill passed Parliament on 11 September 2024 and received assent on 19 September 2024.
The Child Safe Organisations Act 2024 will come into effect on 1 October 2025 and be implemented in stages.
The Queensland Family and Child Commission is responsible for monitoring implementation of the system.
Organisations that take active steps to prevent harm and meaningfully centre children’s safety, wellbeing, and best interests in their policies and practices will be compliant with their obligations and considered child safe. Every organisation in Queensland will be at a different stage of its journey. Some sectors will have Child Safe Standards already underway, and some will have work to do. Implementation will require a unique approach for each sector.
A child safe organisation is a place that consciously and systematically:
- creates an environment where children’s safety and wellbeing, including cultural safety, is the centre of thought, values and actions.
- upholds children’s rights and human rights.
- places emphasis on genuine engagement with and valuing of children.
- reduces the likelihood of harm occurring.
- increases the likelihood of harm being identified.
- recognises, and responds to, any concerns, disclosures, allegations or suspicions of harm.
- has values and practices embedded into the culture of the organisation and staff at all levels and volunteers embody children’s safety in everything they do.
- engages in a dynamic process of continuous improvement to analyse performance, identify opportunities, learn and make changes to ensure the needs, wellbeing and cultural safety of children is maintained.
Visit our Frequently asked questions webpage for more information.
Last updated
4 July 2025
