Queensland’s new child safeguarding law [1] commenced from 1 October 2025 and applies to organisations working with children or providing spaces for them including, sporting clubs and associations and sporting or recreational services (such as performing arts programs and swimming schools). Compliance for these types of organisations is required by 1 April 2026.
The key components introduced by the legislation and that are required to be implemented are:
- 10 Child Safe Standards – guidelines for organisations to create child safe environments; and
- the Universal Principle – mandating cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
The 10 Child Safe Standards are listed below and consider a range of organisational factors like your leadership and governance, how you involve and engage children and families in your decision-making, how you manage complaints and how you promote equity and diversity.
- Standard 1 – Leadership and culture – Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in the entity’s organisational leadership, governance and culture.
- Standard 2 – Voice of children – Children are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
- Standard 3 – Family and community – Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
- Standard 4 – Equity and diversity – Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
- Standard 5 – People – People working with children are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
- Standard 6 – Complaints management – Processes to respond to complaints and concerns are child focused.
- Standard 7 – Knowledge and skills – Staff and volunteers of the entity are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and awareness to keep children safe through ongoing education and training.
- Standard 8 – Physical and online environments – Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing and minimise the opportunity for children to be harmed
- Standard 9 – Continuous improvement – Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.
- Standard 10 – Policy and procedures – Policies and procedures document how the entity is safe for children
It is our view that the National Integrity Framework, particularly the Child and Young Person Safeguarding Policy and the Complaints, Disputes and Disciplinary Policy, reflect and comply with the Child Safe Standards.
In implementing the 10 Child Safe Standards, organisations will also need to consider the Universal Principle. This is part of the Act and is about creating culturally safe environments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families, which broadly means they feel welcome, safe, valued, included and respected.
Examples provided by the Queensland Family & Child Commission of features of culturally safe environments include:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people feel welcome, valued, safe, included and respected;
- leaders of the organisation incorporate cultural safety into daily operations;
- people and policies prevent and address racism, discrimination, biases and stereotypes;
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people inform and guide actions needed to deliver cultural safety, without being expected to carry the responsibility;
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are meaningfully involved in the decisions that affect them; and
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people define and measure cultural safety within the organisation.
The Queensland Family & Child Safe Commission is responsible for monitoring and enforcing the implementation of the Act and can, for example, request evidence from an organisation that they are complying with the obligations or direct the organisation to conduct a self-assessment. The Commission also have enforcement powers under the Act, including through compliance notices, legally binding agreements, and fines for non-compliance. Organisations’ details can also be recorded on a public register.
Policies, practices and the code of conduct of your organisation should be reviewed to ensure that they reflect these ten Child Safe Standards and the Universal Principle. Boards & committees, employees and volunteers should also be upskilled so that they are aware of and comply with these standards.
Further resources are available on the Queensland Family & Child Commission website.
For information about the new blue card framework click through to this recent article written by Partner Matt Bradford for the Bowler Magazine.
[1] Child Safe Organisations Act 2024 (Qld)
