Statement
The department is committed to the safety of children in all aspects of its work including in the delivery of the services it provides on behalf of the Australian Government (government). The Commonwealth Child Safe Framework (Framework) is an important initiative designed to ensure child safety and wellbeing within organisations and programs that engage with children. The Framework sets minimum standards for creating and maintaining child safe culture and practices across government entities.
The department is compliant with the Framework. The department’s overarching risk rating for 2025-26 is low.
The department’s direct contact with children is limited and largely occurs through interaction with funded third-party organisations. Child safety obligations of departmental funded third parties are identified in grant opportunity guidelines, requests for tender, contracts, grant agreements, and other relevant grant and procurement documentation for activities that involve interaction with children.
Grantees with child safe requirements in their grant funding agreements are required to submit an annual Child Safe Statement of Compliance to the Department. The Child Safe Statement of Compliance is reported by Grantees annually in March, with reporting covering the preceding calendar year (January to December). The current reporting period relates to compliance activities undertaken during the 2025 calendar year.
The 2024 Child Safe Statement of Compliance process achieved strong compliance outcomes, with most grantees submitting their statements on time and declaring full compliance with child safe requirements. While 100 late submissions were referred to Program Compliance within the department, most were resolved promptly, and the majority of self-reported non-compliance matters have since been rectified. The process resulted in 32 breach notices being issued to 22 grantees, with only a small number of serious non-compliance matters requiring ongoing management or transfer to other departments following Machinery of Government changes. The 2025 reporting period is currently underway.
The department demonstrates its ongoing commitment to child safety by:
- requiring funded third-party organisations to submit an annual Child Safe Statement of Compliance.
- monitoring funded third-party organisations that are non-compliant and working with them until compliance is achieved.
- undertaking an annual risk assessment to identify and mitigate risks to children through any interactions they may have with it.
- ensuring all departmental staff complete the department’s worker screening requirements.
- delivering internal communication campaigns and awareness activities to promote child safety.
- undertaking an annual review of key child safety policies and procedures.
- including in program risk assessments, provider requirements around child safety.
- Providing all staff with access to training and resources relating to the Framework.
The department is responsible for the administration of the National Redress Scheme for institutional child sexual abuse. During the 2025-26 financial year, 18,402 applications, representing all applications received, were screened against Child Safe Reporting protocols, and 544 matters were referred to jurisdictions.