<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One </span><a href="http://www.9news.com.au/childcare" rel="" target="" title="childcare"><span>childcare</span></a><span> centre has closed and nine face suspension or funding cuts for failing to meet standards under sweeping reforms to the sector announced last year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More than 60 centres across the country have had conditions placed on them since August after they were found to have failed to meet the minimum National Quality Standard (NQS) for child health and safety for seven or more years.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Thirty of those were put on deadline to improve by this month.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/stapylton-crash-update-parents-charged-with-domestic-violence-manslaughter-of-threeyearold-son-queensland-court-news/c3da7668-ad9b-4d8f-aad9-83ff17829d18" rel="" target="" title="Parents charged with domestic violence manslaughter of three-year-old son"><strong><span>Parents charged with domestic violence manslaughter of three-year-old son</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While 19 of those are now meeting standards, one centre was closed, another is yet to be assessed and the remaining nine are working with the Department of Education on "next steps" and risk suspension or losing their taxpayer incentive Child Care Subsidy under the new legislation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Education minister Jason Clare said the threat of losing funding had finally forced centres to act.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We set national standards for a reason," Clare said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/childcare-nine-childcare-centres-face-suspension-or-funding-cuts-after-failing-to-meet-standards-national-news/607888f0-f10b-4302-ace9-e40a807b09db" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"In the case of these centres... all 60 centres that were put on notice so far, had failed to do this for seven years.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think any reasonable Aussie hearing that for the first time would think 'well if you're not prepared to meet the standards then you shouldn't be receiving taxpayer's money' and this is not an idle threat.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The threat of cancelling the funding has forced 19 centres so far to act and if the other centres aren't prepared to act, then the powers in the act are there to cut off their funding."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The centres have not yet been named and parents will not be notified until the decision is finalised that the funding is to be cut.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Clare said most of the nine centres at risk of suspension were in family daycare.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>EPSTEIN FILES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/hillary-clinton-deposition-jeffrey-epstein-investigation/82edb9b0-fa41-4f7c-8073-7aa5e8a43f44"><strong><span>Bill Clinton had no knowledge of Epstein crimes, says Hillary Clinton</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Two further reforms come into effect today including a new National Early Childhood Register and mandatory safety training.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The register will include Working with Children Checks, qualifications and identifying information to make it easier to track staff across centres and jurisdictions and must be updated within 14 days whenever someone is employed or leaves a centre.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Clare said the country had been "shocked and sickened" by allegations of serious crimes in childcare centres last year, referencing </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/victoria-joshua-dale-brown-alleged-childcare-paedophile-hit-with-83-new-charges/4136e919-c489-425a-9e05-3d3082f78e3a" rel="" target="" title="accused Melbourne childcare paedophile Joshua Brown, who is facing 156 charges against 12 alleged child victims"><span>accused Melbourne childcare paedophile Joshua Brown, who is facing 156 charges against 12 alleged child victims</span></a><span> and was found to have worked at dozens of centres.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The events that happened in Victoria last year I think remind us why a national register is important," Clare said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Think about the work that the Victorian police had to do... to try to find out where that individual worked and where they thought he worked wasn't always where he worked," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I said at the time we should have a system that allows us to press a button so we know where workers are, where they've worked, the centres that they've been at and the states that they've been as well."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Every provider has a month to upload workforce information to the register.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Also beginning today, staff and directors will have access to mandatory child safety training which they will be required to complete within the next six months.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The training is intended to give staff the skills to identify and report abuse and the grooming of children and adults.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Of all the things we're doing here, I really do think this is the most important," Clare said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's the people who work in our centres who are our best assets here.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"99.9 per cent of the people who work in our early education and care system, love our kids, care for our kids, educate our kids, protect our kids and want the best for our kids."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Centres will be able to close from 5pm several days a year in order to complete the training.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Reforms to the sector so far also include a trial of CCTV in hundreds of centres across the country and a ban on personal mobile phones in childcare centres.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><strong><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google 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