Early Learning and Digital Safety: A Guide to the New NQF Technology Standards

From 1 September 2025, the National Quality Framework (NQF) will introduce new requirements for digital safety in early childhood education and care as part of changes to the Education and Care Services National Regulations. For service leaders and directors, this policy and procedures are about ensuring children are safe in both physical and online environments.

As a trusted recruitment partner in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) sector, McArthur has seen firsthand how digital technology impacts daily practice in services. These new standards align closely with the expectations we reinforce in our recruitment, induction and training, helping centres and educators meet compliance with confidence.

Why Digital Safety is a Priority for Early Learning Centres

Digital devices are now widely used in ECE from documenting children’s learning and communicating with families to supporting supervision. While valuable, these tools also create risks if not carefully managed.

The new NQF compliance requirements mean that from September 2025 all services must:

• Implement policies for the taking, use, storage and destruction of images and videos of children.
• Obtain parental authorisation before capturing or using children’s images.
• Regulate the use of service-issued devices, including cameras and tablets.
• Prohibit educators from using personal devices while working directly with children.
• Set boundaries for how children use digital devices within the service.

For services, this means reviewing how technology is currently managed and ensuring practices align with the updated regulations.

The ACECQA Online Safety Guide for ECEC

The Online Safety Guide for Education and Care Services supports services in meeting the new requirements. This resource provides practical strategies for creating safe online environments, covering issues such as:

• Setting clear boundaries for the safe use of service-issued devices by staff and children.
• Restricting the use of personal devices (such as phones, tablets or smartwatches) when working directly with children.
• Ensuring secure storage, controlled access and timely deletion of images and videos of children.
• Supporting educators to recognise, prevent and respond to online safety risks.
• Engaging families in conversations about how digital tools are used to document and share children’s learning.

Adopting the guidance from the Online Safety Guide demonstrates a strong commitment to building a child safe digital culture and helps services prepare for the September 2025 NQF changes with confidence.

How McArthur Supports Centres with Digital Safety Compliance

At McArthur, we recognise that digital safety is integral to creating child safe services. Our Mobile Device Policy ensures educators store personal devices securely during shifts and never use them to capture images of children.

Every educator placed through McArthur completes induction training on privacy, confidentiality and responsible digital practices. This equips them to follow the highest standards in digital safety and ensures their work aligns with the new NQF regulations.

For centre directors, this means peace of mind knowing that casual and permanent staff engaged through McArthur are already prepared to meet the updated technology standards. By embedding compliance into our recruitment and training, we reduce risk for services and support safer learning environments for children.

Practical Steps for Early Learning Services

Based on our work with centres across Australia, McArthur recommends the following steps to prepare for the NQF technology standards:

1. Audit digital practices. Review how devices are used, who has access, and how long images are stored.
2. Adopt the National Model Code. Align your policies with ACECQA’s guidelines to demonstrate best practice.
3. Communicate with families. Clearly outline how images are managed and ensure parental consent is always obtained.
4. Train your staff. Ensure every educator understands their responsibilities, whether permanent, casual or relief staff.
5. Work with compliance-focused partners. Engage workforce partners like McArthur, who prepare educators to meet these requirements before they enter your service.

With McArthur as your Early Childhood recruitment partner, you gain confidence that your workforce is ready for the new NQF technology standards and committed to child safety every day.