New changes to Queensland’s child safety laws: Is your healthcare or community organisation compliant?
Queensland institutions, including healthcare services, have taken a significant step in the promotion of child safety in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, through the introduction of the Child Safe Organisations Act (the Act).
The Act came into effect on 1 October 2025 and applies to organisations that work with children or provide services or spaces specifically for them. It works to ensure that organisations are proactive in creating spaces where children feel safe, valued and protected. Further, the act stipulates that all businesses that interact with children need to comply with the introduction of the 10 Child Safe Standards and Universal Principle. In addition, some organisations will be required to introduce a Reportable Conduct Scheme.
These two elements work together, with the Standards designed to prevent harm in businesses and organisations, and the Reportable Conduct Scheme to allow for an appropriate response if harm or misconduct occurs.
What are the Child Safe Standards and how are they implemented?
The Child Safe Standards cover a broad range of organisational factors including:
commitment and leadership
governance processes
staff education and training
promotion of diversity and equity
child-centred decision making.
For an organisation to be child safe, it needs to be culturally safe. All organisations are also required to implement the Universal Principal to create environments that promote and uphold the right to cultural safety for First Nations children, by making them feel safe, valued and respected.
Organisations are required to implement the Standards in a responsive way, based on the kind of work they do.
What is a Reportable Conduct Scheme and who needs one?
The Reportable Conduct Scheme requires organisations to complete an investigation in response to concerns about an employee’s behaviour towards children and record the outcomes in a way that can be shared with other organisations to prevent harm to children.
It has been designed to connect information across organisations, regulators and sectors to identify people who present a risk to the safety of children. The Reportable Conduct Scheme will commence for eligible organisations on 1 July 2026.
Organisations that are required to comply with the Reportable Conduct Scheme are:
listed in Schedule 2 of the Act or prescribed by regulation
organisations that care for, supervise or exercise authority over children.
What is the role of the Queensland Family and Child Commission in relation to the Queensland Child Safe Organisations Act?
The Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the operation of the Child Safe Organisations system. The QFCC can take action where children’s safety is compromised and have enforcement powers under the Act.
Further resources
The Queensland Family and Child Commission website has a range of supportive resources for organisations, including: