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APS Submission to Quality and Safety of Australia’s Early Childhood Education and Care System

The Australian Paediatric Society formally notifies the Senate that current Commonwealth endorsed arrangements for managing high-risk medical conditions, specifically Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) and life-threatening allergy/anaphylaxis, within Australia’s Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) system are already causing unacceptable, unlawful, and preventable clinical risk to children and to ECEC educators.

This represents a “Pink Batts” style systemic failure: a federally funded, nationally endorsed program was rolled out before lawful workforce competence and authorisation were ensured and preventable harm is already occurring. In the case of Type 1 Diabetes, a child has already died, and a criminal conviction has already been recorded for not providing the requisite training to employees. Within the last few weeks, a 3-year-old child almost died from severe anaphylaxis in a day care facility after being fed her allergen by an employee who lacked the requisite training to appropriately manage a child with severe allergy. This submission is lodged to prevent further deaths, not explain them after the fact.

Submmision

Inquiry: Quality and Safety of Australia’s Early Childhood Education and Care System

Submitted by the Australian Paediatric Society (APS) Date: October 2025

pdfAPS Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Education and Employment2.07 MB

Supplementary Evidence and Submission

pdfSupplementary Evidence 1 816.89 KB

New evidence that has emerged since APS’s submission was lodged:

  • Diabetes Australia concession
  • Ministerial advice creates regulatory gap in training for insulin administration in ECEC and schools

pdfSupplementary Submission 24 Feb 2026348.39 KB

This supplementary submission responds to questions posed to the Australian Paediatric Society during the Senate Inquiry hearing on 24 February 2026 regarding the safety and regulatory framework governing the management of medical conditions in early childhood education and care (ECEC) services.

Content updated 30 March 2026