Most parents who walk into your centre are quietly asking whether their child will be safe with you. That question matters more to them than the menu or the outdoor play space.
A lot of centres answer it once, on the tour, and then never again. The research says parents want to hear about safety far more often than that. For your centre, sharing good childcare safety information openly gives families a real reason to choose you and stay.
What parents told the researchers
In August 2026, researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast published a study of more than 300 Australian parents and carers of children under five. Location came out as the top priority when choosing a service, and safety and safeguarding came second, ahead of reputation.
More than 85% of parents said they wanted more information about how services keep children safe. They also wanted that information on an ongoing basis rather than only at enrolment. You can read the summary in The Sector’s report on the study (19 August 2026).
The detail is worth a closer look. Parents wanted clearer information about staffing changes, supervision practices and how incidents are managed. They also wanted to hear about educator training and their child’s relationships with staff and other children.
These are practical questions about the everyday running of your centre. Most of what parents want to understand is work you’re already doing, so there’s no need for marketing gloss.
This matters for your marketing because families can’t tell from the outside whether a centre is safe. They look for signals that help them make that judgement. When you explain how things work, you make the decision easier and give families something concrete to go on when they’re comparing you with the new centre down the road.
Owners we work with often tell us that families end up choosing the centre that feels the safest, and this research backs that up.
What has changed in 2026, and why families are paying attention
Child safety in early learning has had a lot of public attention since 2025, and governments have responded with a national package of reforms. The Department of Education’s summary of the year of action on child safety (29 June 2026) sets out what’s now in place, including the following changes:
- Maximum penalties under the National Law and National Regulations tripled from 1 January 2026.
- There’s a national early childhood worker register.
- National child safety training is mandatory for everyone working in services regulated under the NQF.
- Working with children checks are required before a person starts work, with notification when a worker’s status changes.
- Bans or restrictions on educators using personal devices while working directly with children apply in every state and territory.
- Families can find more information on StartingBlocks.gov.au, including regulatory visits, enforcement actions and conditions.
Families have seen the headlines, even if they haven’t read the detail. That gives you an opportunity to explain what the changes mean at your centre. Every one of these changes is something you can explain in plain language and show you’ve put into practice.
What childcare safety information you can share
The safest approach is to explain how you work in specific terms, without promising outcomes nobody can guarantee. Here’s what we’d suggest putting in front of families.
On your website
Give child safety its own page, and link to it from your home page and enrolment page. Keep the information practical and specific to your centre so families can understand how you work.
- Explain how your team supervises children through the day, including at rest time, meal times and outdoors.
- State that every educator has completed the national child safety training, and explain how you keep it current.
- Explain your working with children check process for staff, students and volunteers.
- Share your policy on personal phones and devices, and explain how photos of children are taken, stored and shared.
- Explain how you handle an incident, from the first call to the parent through to what happens next.
- Tell families how they can raise a concern and who they’ll speak to.
- Include your current National Quality Standard rating, with a link to your StartingBlocks page.
Use your real photos and your own words. A page written in a director’s voice will always read better than a block of policy text.
On the tour
Have the director or room leader walk families through the same points. As you show them where children sleep, explain how they’re checked. Talk them through the sign-in and pick-up process too.
Give families room to ask the awkward questions, and answer them calmly. They’ll remember how you made them feel when they asked.
After enrolment
This is the part most centres miss, and it’s where the research says parents want more information. A short, regular update keeps safety visible without making families anxious.
- Let families know when a familiar educator is leaving or a new one is starting, and introduce the new person properly.
- Share when your team completes training, and explain what it covered.
- Explain any change to your policies before it takes effect, along with why you’re making it.
- Use your newsletter or app to remind families how to raise a concern.
Staff changes are one of the things parents specifically asked to hear about. That deserves attention, especially when owners we work with tell us that families leaving with a departing educator is a real worry. Telling families early and introducing the replacement well is one of the simplest ways to keep their trust.
What not to share
Being open doesn’t mean sharing everything. There are a few boundaries you’ll need to keep in place.
- Never share information that could identify a child, a family or an individual staff member involved in an incident.
- Don’t publish details of a specific incident or investigation. Speak with your regulator about what you need to tell families and when.
- Don’t make claims you can’t stand behind, such as “100% safe” or “the safest centre in the area”. Under the Australian Consumer Law, a claim in your advertising has to be accurate.
- Don’t post photos of children without the right consent from their families.
If you’re unsure whether something should be shared, or how to share it, check with your state or territory regulatory authority or your adviser before you publish it.
How safety fits into your marketing
Safety shouldn’t be a scare tactic, and it shouldn’t be the headline of every ad. It works best as proof behind everything else you say.
Think about what a family finds after clicking on your ad. If they land on your website and find a clear, honest safety page, written by your director and showing your real rooms, you’ve answered the question that was sitting at the back of their mind.
That information also helps when families compare you with other centres. A newer centre may have brighter rooms, but you can show how your team works, how long your educators have been with you and how you keep families informed. Those details give families something a fresh fit-out can’t. Our guide to tackling marketing competition in the childcare industry covers more ways to stand apart.
Reviews from real families back this up too. When parents mention that they always know what’s happening, or that the team made them feel at ease, families are hearing safety information from someone other than you.
Your next steps this week
- Read your website the way a new parent would. Can they find how you keep children safe within a minute?
- Write or update a child safety page using the list above, in plain language and in your director’s voice.
- Add a short safety section to your tour, and make sure every person who runs tours covers the same points.
- Pick one regular moment, such as a monthly newsletter item, to share a safety update with current families.
- Check your StartingBlocks page so you know exactly what families see when they look you up.
If you’d like a hand turning your safety practices into website content and ads that families trust, we work with childcare centres on their marketing every day. Get in touch with us for a no-pressure chat about where to start.
