Australia is implementing the next phase of a national database, the National Continuous Checking Capability, which will track the criminal history of all Australians holding Working with Children checks.
A national database designed to prevent individuals with criminal histories from working with children is being rolled out across Australia, a decade after the initial call for such a system. The pilot program for the National Continuous Checking Capability already integrates information on Commonwealth and Australian Capital Territory (ACT) offenses. Starting Monday, South Australia will join the program, with other jurisdictions expected to follow. This initiative stems from an agreement made in 2025 by all Australian jurisdictions to share working with children check materials and criminal histories, aiming to prevent offenders from simply moving between states to circumvent checks. Michelle Rowland is scheduled to meet with attorneys-general nationwide to discuss the database's expansion and implementation, underscoring its importance as a significant step in national child protection policy.