Independent MLA Thomas Emerson will move a motion this morning using the Assembly’s powerful standing order 213A, calling for the ACT Government to release a range of documents related to serious incidents in early childhood education and care centres across the ACT. The motion has been backed by current and former local early childhood educators.

The push for transparency follows the passage of similar motions in other state parliaments, with the NSW Government being ordered to produce documents in November 2024, leading to a wide range of disturbing disclosures, and the Victorian Legislative Council passing a similar order last week.

Mr Emerson said the motion would reveal whether issues of poor regulation seen interstate were also endemic in the ACT.

“Families deserve to know if their children are being kept safe,” Mr Emerson said.

“Without sufficient public scrutiny, systems drift toward complacency, especially when a strong profit motive is involved.

“Incredibly disturbing incidents of abuse and neglect in the early childhood sector have been exposed across the border. With centres in the ACT reporting the highest frequency of serious incidents in the nation, community members are rightly concerned about what might be going on behind closed doors here.

“Canberrans deserve to be able to make informed decisions about their children’s care. The idea that any child might be harmed, neglected or placed at risk in a space designed for their care is something no parent can accept.

“It is incumbent on us as elected representatives to push for greater transparency in this area and accountability on behalf of parents, carers, educators and, most importantly, children.”

Mr Emerson said the ACT Greens had indicated their support for the motion, and that he was waiting for a final position from the Canberra Liberals and ACT Labor.

“If this motion receives the support of the Assembly, it will expose any dodgy operators that aren’t being regulated effectively, opening the door to meaningful reform,” Mr Emerson said.

Current and former local early childhood educators speaking on the condition of anonymity have welcomed the motion.

“During my time at Affinity Education, there were numerous instances where we found ourselves in vulnerable positions due to the company's lack of support and insufficient organisational structure,” one educator said.

“The head office failed to take appropriate action or impose necessary consequences on staff responsible for significant breaches, such as leaving children unsupervised, failing to complete incident reports, and inaccurately documenting children’s food and sleep checks. Even when an educator was placed on a performance improvement plan, they were rarely held accountable for their actions. Despite not meeting the outlined expectations, the company would extend the improvement plan or transfer the individual to another service.

“Instead of receiving the support they needed during these challenging times, centre managers were often met with silence, even after sending numerous emails requesting assistance. The lack of response left many feeling isolated and unsupported in their efforts to maintain the quality of care.

“Centre management teams were strongly encouraged to ensure their centres received positive online reviews. In situations where negative feedback began to accumulate, there was a push to counteract it by prompting educators to write favourable comments about the centre and the company. This approach aimed to overshadow the voices of dissatisfied parents and families.

“Families often echoed their frustration, reporting that they received no answers when reaching out to the feedback team regarding ongoing issues at the centres, such as the high turnover of staff, incidents involving children, and the lack of support when serious concerns arose.”

Another educator who has been in the industry locally for 10 years, and has worked for five different services, said support was needed not just for educators and children now, but for future generations to come.

“Quantity over quality – it’s all about hiring whoever they can with the least experience just to fill ratio,” she said.

“At times, these educators don’t even know how to sit and be with children. They stand with their hands behind their backs and just stare at children but don’t support them in needing help or when they are upset. When you bring this to a director’s attention, they just say the same thing: ‘we have no one else’.

“Some centres have a limited budget for food where hungry children don’t get a second serving.”

Another educator said her experience at Genius Childcare had been particularly damaging.

”The environment at Genius Childcare was not only destabilising but deeply disheartening,” she said.

“There was a consistent failure to provide basic necessities such as nappies, wipes, and food, placing both children and educators in unacceptable and unethical working conditions. These issues were compounded by a lack of support and the absence of consistent processes for addressing serious concerns. I often felt isolated, unheard, and professionally unsafe.

“The experience severely impacted my mental wellbeing and began to strip away the passion I had always held for early childhood education.” 

The motion will be debated in the Assembly on Tuesday morning.