The NSW Government says new data has shown tougher laws and a stronger regulator are helping improve child safety, lift standards and restore confidence in the early learning sector.
The NSW Parliament passed reforms last October and established the independent Early Learning Commission on 1 December 2025.
Statistics recorded for the period since the Commission was established show significant increases in monitoring visits, compliance actions, and suspensions compared to the same time last year.
This includes:
- Visits by Early Learning Commission officers increasing by 10% to 4,837 services, of which 69% were unannounced;
- Emergency action notices increasing by 233% to 80;
- The number of providers cancelled increasing by more than 1,000% to 217.
The Government says the tougher regulatory environment is also driving poor-quality operators out of the sector at unprecedented rates.
During this period, the number of applications by approved providers transferring their service approval increased by 141%, with 70 services in NSW applying to transfer to a new operator.
“Parents should have confidence that when they drop their child off at an early learning service, their child will be safe,” said said NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning, Prue Car.
“The regulatory regime we inherited was clearly not fit for purpose. The Minns Labor Government stepped in with nation-leading reforms that put child safety first, and other jurisdictions followed.”
In October last year, acting on the recommendations of an independent review into the sector, the Government introduced tougher penalties, greater transparency for parents, a ban on mobile phones in services, and stronger powers to suspend or prohibit providers and individuals.
Armed with these new powers, the independent regulator is weeding out substandard operators while maintaining access for families, with the total number of services across NSW remaining stable at around 6,200.
“We make no apologies for driving poor-quality operators out of the sector while supporting high-quality providers to expand. The NSW Early Learning Commission is doing its job – putting child safety first,” said Minister Car.
“Under the former Liberal-National Government, the sector was allowed to grow unchecked. We are taking action to lift standards, strengthen oversight and restore confidence for families.”
