In Australia’s childcare sector, whether your state uses the term Working with Children Check (WWCC), Blue Card, WWVP, or another name, these requirements are not a tick-box exercise, they are a cornerstone of safe practice and legal compliance
Failure to monitor, maintain, and verify WWCCs across your workforce puts children at risk and exposes your organisation to serious fines, reputational damage, and regulatory action; all of which are entirely preventable.
In this article, we unpack the real consequences of WWCC non-compliance and explore how proactive systems can help you stay ahead of risk and focused on your mission of care.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
WWCC breaches are not theoretical. Childcare operators across the country have faced financial penalties, public scrutiny, and operational setbacks because of:
Expired checks that weren’t renewed in time
Incorrect assumptions that casuals or volunteers were “covered”
Misplaced documentation that couldn’t be produced during an audit
Staff continuing to work while suspended or flagged
In some cases, these compliance failures were only discovered after incidents occurred, resulting in fines, suspensions, and even closure of the centre. The message from regulators is consistent: “You must know who is working with children, and you must be able to prove they’re cleared”.
Risk Is Silent, Until It Isn’t
Most operators are not deliberately negligent. In fact, most care deeply and have informal systems in place. But informal isn’t enough when:
Teams grow or staff move between locations
Expiry dates fall through spreadsheet cracks
Leaders assume someone else is checking compliance
Temporary staff or relief workers aren’t properly tracked
That’s where risk hides. And unfortunately, “I didn’t know” is not a defence when something goes wrong.
Prevention Starts With Systems
So how do you avoid being the next cautionary tale? The answer lies in proactive prevention, achieved with the right tools, processes, and escalation pathways built into your compliance ecosystem.
A Risk & Compliance Platform (like Corethix) allows you to:
Track every WWCC across every employee, including casuals and contractors
Receive automated alerts before checks expire
Store verification records securely and access them instantly
Assign responsibility clearly within your team
Add a Speak Up Hotline to:
Give staff and families a confidential, safe channel to raise concerns
Detect issues before they become incidents
Demonstrate your commitment to a culture of safety and transparency
Compliance is for the Children
Maintaining WWCC compliance is about:
Creating safe spaces for children
Employing people you can trust
Reinforcing public confidence in your centre
That starts with visibility, accountability, and early action.
Take the first step. Prevention is simpler than you think.
Let's start the conversation and assess your risk exposure.
