Sector Alert
National Early Childhood Worker Register entries due 27 March 2026
From 27 February 2026, the National Early Childhood Worker Register (Worker Register) became operational across Australia.
The Worker Register provides state and territory Regulatory Authorities with a secure, national view of who is working in education and care services and where. This improves regulatory oversight and supports child safety across the sector.
What this means for approved providers:
Approved providers must record and maintain workforce information in the Worker Register.
Information about their current workforce must be entered by 27 March 2026 using the National Quality Agenda IT System (NQAITS). After that, National Regulations require approved providers to update the Worker Register:
- within 14 days of a worker being employed, engaged or appointed
- within 14 days of becoming aware of any change to information.
Approved providers must record details for all people working in their services. This includes:
- educators
- teachers
- volunteers
- students
- nominated supervisors
- coordinators
- family day care educator assistant
- non-educator staff (such as bus drivers, cooks and cleaners).
Approved providers are responsible for entering and keeping information accurate and up to date, as they do now for staff records.
View the full sector alert here.