Regulatory calendar
The care workforce rule changes, by date.
Every dated change to who can work in Australian Aged Care, Disability and Childcare, and what providers must record about them. Newest first, each one linked to the regulator that set the date.
Last updated 21 dated changes, 5 upcoming
2027
- UpcomingNationalDisability
Mandatory NDIS registration begins expanding to high-risk supports
- What changes
- Under the Securing the NDIS for Future Generations reforms, mandatory provider registration expands from July 2027 to all high-risk supports, with full implementation by the end of 2030. Registration is what makes an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance mandatory for risk-assessed roles.
- Who it affects
- Unregistered providers of high-risk supports, and workers in risk-assessed roles who do not yet hold a clearance.
- UpcomingNationalChildcare
Advanced child safety training due for existing role holders
- What changes
- Anyone who held a relevant role before 30 September 2026 must complete advanced child safety training by 31 March 2027. Anyone starting in a relevant role on or after 30 September 2026 has 3 months from their start date. Refresher training is every 2 years.
- Who it affects
- Persons with management or control, nominated supervisors, persons in day-to-day charge, and staff who work directly with children at NQF services.
- UpcomingNationalDisability
Conditions of registration apply to NDIS digital platforms
- What changes
- New conditions of registration apply to providers in registration group 0137 (providing an NDIS digital platform service). Among them, every worker must hold a valid NDIS Worker Screening Clearance before offering supports on the platform, with no work on application, and platforms must check for banning orders.
- Who it affects
- NDIS digital platform providers and the workers who offer supports through them.
2026
- UpcomingVICChildcareCross-sector
WWC Connect starts in Victoria
- What changes
- Organisations verify a person's WWC status before they start child-related work, then use WWC Connect, an online service from the Social Services Regulator, to connect them: a worker within 7 days of engaging them, a volunteer within 21 days. Starting, stopping and detail changes are notified in the same 7 and 21 day windows.
- Who it affects
- Every Victorian organisation, sole traders included, that engages people in child-related work, across childcare, disability, health, education and community services.
- UpcomingVICChildcareCross-sector
Mandatory child safety training for WWC Check applicants
- What changes
- New Working with Children Check applicants, people renewing a clearance and people moving from a volunteer to an employee clearance must complete an online child safety course of about 45 minutes before their application can be finalised. Existing holders do it when they next renew.
- Who it affects
- Anyone applying for or renewing a Victorian WWC Clearance, and the organisations waiting on them to start.
- In forceNationalDisability
Unregistered SIL providers must have applied for registration
- What changes
- Every supported independent living provider that was not registered had to apply for registration by 1 October 2026 or stop providing SIL.
- Who it affects
- SIL providers that were operating unregistered, and their workers in risk-assessed roles.
- In forceNationalChildcare
Foundation child safety training deadline for existing workers
- What changes
- Everyone appointed before 14 August 2026 had to complete the two foundation child safety modules by 27 August 2026. Anyone appointed since must complete them before working directly with children or within 14 days of starting, whichever is earlier. Refresher training is every 2 years.
- Who it affects
- Every staff member, volunteer and student at an NQF early childhood service, including those who do not work directly with children.
- In forceVICChildcare
Victorian services display compliance history and report sexual conduct within 24 hours
- What changes
- Approved providers must display their current and previous overall quality rating with two years of compliance history at every service premises, and notify VECRA within 24 hours of becoming aware of any sexual conduct against, with or in the presence of a child by anyone working in or for the service.
- Who it affects
- Approved providers of Victorian NQF services, including every family day care venue, residence and principal office.
- In forceVICChildcareCross-sector
Victorian Working with Children Check changes commence
- What changes
- The WWC Check can weigh a broader range of child safety risk information, including information that has not led to a charge or conviction. The Social Services Regulator can issue an interim bar or suspend a clearance while it reassesses, it shares more with bodies such as Victoria Police and VECRA, and internal review replaces VCAT merits review.
- Who it affects
- Victorian WWC Clearance holders and applicants, and the organisations that engage them.
- In forceNationalDisability
Mandatory registration for SIL and digital platform providers
- What changes
- Supported independent living providers and NDIS digital platform providers must be registered, and the SIL Practice Standards apply. Registration brings the NDIS Worker Screening Check requirement for every risk-assessed role.
- Who it affects
- SIL and digital platform providers, and their workers in risk-assessed roles.
- In forceVICChildcare
VECRA can issue infringement notices for more provisions
- What changes
- Victoria's early childhood regulator gained the power to issue infringement notices for additional provisions of the National Law, without a hearing.
- Who it affects
- Approved providers of Victorian NQF services.
- In forceNationalAged Care
Care funding linked to the care minutes a home delivers
- What changes
- For non-specialised metropolitan (MM1) residential homes, part of care funding is linked to the care minutes actually delivered, through the care minutes supplement. The sector-wide target stays at 215 minutes per resident per day, including 44 registered nurse minutes.
- Who it affects
- Residential Aged Care providers, and the rostering of registered nurses and care staff.
- In forceNationalChildcare
Full workforce on the Worker Register, and the 14-day rule begins
- What changes
- Approved providers had to enter their full current workforce on the National Early Childhood Worker Register. From then, a new worker goes on within 14 days of being employed, engaged or appointed, and any change to a worker's information within 14 days of becoming aware of it.
- Who it affects
- Approved providers and nominated supervisors at NQF services, for everyone performing an education and care role, paid or unpaid.
- In forceNationalChildcare
Worker Register opens and the national child safety package commences
- What changes
- The National Early Childhood Worker Register became operational in the NQA IT System. The same package made children's safety the paramount consideration, introduced mandatory child safety training and an inappropriate conduct offence, and required a valid WWCC or WWVP clearance before a worker starts (a change for WA, the ACT and the NT).
- Who it affects
- Approved providers, nominated supervisors and every worker at NQF services.
- In forceNationalDisabilityAged Care
First NDIS Worker Screening Check renewal cycle begins
- What changes
- The first clearances, issued from February 2021, began reaching their five-year expiry from February 2026. Workers can apply to renew up to 90 days before expiry, and renewals now need the current employer to verify the worker on the NDIS Worker Screening Database.
- Who it affects
- Disability workers in risk-assessed roles, Aged Care workers using an NDIS clearance for screening, and the providers that employ them.
- In forceNationalChildcare
National Law penalties increase and infringement offences expand
- What changes
- Maximum penalties under the Education and Care Services National Law increased, and more offences became open to infringement notices.
- Who it affects
- Approved providers, nominated supervisors and family day care educators.
- In forceVICChildcare
VECRA becomes Victoria's early childhood regulator
- What changes
- The Victorian Early Childhood Regulatory Authority took over regulation of early childhood education and care in Victoria.
- Who it affects
- Every Victorian NQF service and approved provider.
2025
- In forceNationalAged Care
Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Rules 2025 commence
- What changes
- The new Act and Rules commenced with a registration model for providers (categories 1 to 6) and the strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards. The Aged Care Code of Conduct and the register of banning orders, which providers must check regularly, now sit under the new Act.
- Who it affects
- Every registered Aged Care provider, its responsible persons and its Aged Care workers, volunteers included.
- In forceNationalAged Care
One screening rule for every Aged Care worker
- What changes
- Every Aged Care worker and responsible person needs either a National Police Check no older than 3 years that does not record certain offences, or an NDIS Worker Screening Clearance. Screening records are kept for 7 years from the day each record is made.
- Who it affects
- Registered providers, and everyone they engage directly or through associated providers and digital platforms, including kitchen, cleaning, laundry, garden and office staff.
- In forceNationalAged Care
Support at Home replaces Home Care Packages
- What changes
- Support at Home replaced the Home Care Packages Program and the Short-Term Restorative Care Programme. The Commonwealth Home Support Program stays separate, with grant funding extended to 30 June 2029.
- Who it affects
- Home care providers and the in-home workforce they engage, who meet the same screening rule as residential care.
- In forceNationalChildcare
Physical or sexual abuse allegations reported within 24 hours
- What changes
- The time to notify the regulatory authority of an incident or allegation of physical or sexual abuse of a child at a service fell from 7 days to 24 hours.
- Who it affects
- Approved providers of NQF services.
Announced, with no date set
These are in train but have no commencement date we can point to. They join the calendar above when the regulator publishes one.
- NationalAged CareDisabilityCross-sector
A national worker screening check for the care and support economy
Proposed, with no start date. As at 6 October 2026 the Department's screening page (last updated 2 March 2026) says the Government is working with states and territories on the check, led by a taskforce in the Department of Finance. The earlier "not before mid-2026" wording is no longer on it. Until a check is legislated, the National Police Check or NDIS clearance rule applies in Aged Care.
- NationalAged Care
National registration scheme for Aged Care personal care workers
In design, with no start date. Consultation ran from 18 February to 17 April 2025, a summary report followed on 16 September 2025, and on 29 September 2025 the Minister said the Government would consider the feedback as it continues to develop its approach.
- NationalAged Care
Support at Home price caps
Deferred. Price caps had been flagged for 1 July 2026. On 19 May 2026 the Minister announced they would be deferred until there is greater confidence in the stability of the market, alongside a quarterly national summary of prices and Commission powers to order refunds for overcharging. No new date has been set.
- NationalChildcareCross-sector
National Working with Children Check reform
Agreed in principle, with no start date. On 31 July 2026 Attorneys-General agreed a national baseline of serious offences that automatically bar a person from holding a WWCC, and minimum national standards for WWCC risk assessment. Each state and territory still runs its own check.
We list a date only when the regulator or the legislation publishes it, and we link that source on every entry. Where a change is announced without a date, it sits in the list above until one is set. Compliance obligations stay with the provider: check the source before you rely on an entry.
This is general information, not compliance advice. Always confirm requirements with the relevant regulator, and remember that providers keep the legal responsibility to sight credentials and decide who can work.
We work hard to keep everything accurate, and our compliance engine keeps up with the rules as they change. Even so, we might get a detail slightly wrong or miss something. No one's perfect. If you think something here needs updating, email us at resources@koora.care. We would genuinely rather know, because we all do better when we help each other get it right.