New transportation requirements for centre based services from 1 March 2023

As transportation can present heightened risks to the safety of children when children get in or out of vehicles and when they arrive at or leave the service, the following new regulatory requirements will apply to centre based services that provide regular transportation:  

  • Approved providers and nominated supervisors must ensure a staff member or nominated supervisor (other than the driver) accounts for children as they get in or out of a vehicle at the education and care service. 
  • Approved providers and nominated supervisors must ensure records are made showing children are accounted for as they get in or out of a vehicle at the education and care service.  
  • Approved providers and nominated supervisors must ensure records are made confirming a check of the inside of a vehicle was completed at the service after all children have left to ensure no children remain.  
  • Approved providers must notify the regulatory authority when they start providing or arranging regular transport, and again when they finish. This can be done through the NQA ITS. 

Changes to the National Regulations have now been made and we have published new guidance information and resources on the ACECQA website: 

Information sheet – Changes to regular transportation of children 

Information sheet – Minimising the risk of children left in vehicles  

Information sheet - Guidance for adequate supervision during transportation 

Safe Transportation of Children Safety Checklist and regular transportation record form 

We will also be publishing amendments to the national policy and procedure guidelines and updates to the Guide to the National Quality Framework.  

We will be releasing information through our newsletters, on our website and through eDMs to regulatory authorities, providers and their services over the next few months.