Many Australian childcare services already run CCTV, and many families ask about it during enrolment. But CCTV in childcare sits inside a patchwork of privacy law, state surveillance legislation and sector guidance rather than a single national CCTV law, and there is no requirement that every service install cameras.
This guide explains what currently applies, what a 2025-2026 government assessment of CCTV in childcare actually involved, and how services can use cameras responsibly alongside - not instead of - active educator supervision.
Is CCTV mandatory in childcare in Australia?
No. There is no national law requiring every childcare service to install CCTV. Since 1 September 2025, a service that uses CCTV must have a written CCTV policy and procedures under regulation 168 of the Education and Care Services National Regulations. The policy must address informing families, secure storage and access, and timely access for authorised officers and police. In August 2025 Education Ministers commissioned an assessment in up to 300 services, with data collection scheduled April-June 2026 and a report to Ministers due Q3 2026. It was not a national CCTV rollout. Check education.gov.au for the latest status.
Decisions about whether to install CCTV, and how to use it, currently sit with each approved provider, subject to the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations, state surveillance legislation and the Privacy Act.
National CCTV assessment: the timeline
August 2025: Education Ministers commissioned a national assessment. April-June 2026: data collection was scheduled across up to 300 services. Q3 2026: a report to Ministers was due. These dates describe an assessment, not a mandate or national installation programme. Confirm the report's current status with the Department of Education.
What CCTV can and cannot do
CCTV can record shared spaces and help authorised staff locate footage for an incident review. It cannot see every blind spot, replace an educator's direct observation, or make decisions about children. Cameras installed and authorised by the approved provider are outside the personal-device offences; educators must still follow service policy.
AI-assisted analytics
Selected camera feeds can support timely review of defined supervision risks through AI-assisted alerts. CCTV supervision detects people and safety events, not identities; faces are blurred in alert snapshots. Authorised Pickup and Educator Attendance are separate consent-based adult verification modules. No child is enrolled or identified.
Provider implementation checklist
Confirm the purpose and lawful use with your approved provider and local advice. Map sight lines and private areas. Write and communicate the CCTV policy. Set authorised access, retention and deletion rules. Review existing cameras and recorder access. Train staff on alerts and incident procedures, then review the plan as rooms or operations change.
Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles
Where a service collects personal information via CCTV - including images of children, families and staff - the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 generally guide how that information should be collected, stored, used and disposed of. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) publishes guidance on CCTV and surveillance that services can use as a starting point, including the importance of a clear collection notice, limiting access to footage, and retaining recordings only as long as needed.
A sensible baseline is to tell families in enrolment material that CCTV operates on site, explain the general purpose (safety and supervision oversight, not performance monitoring), and keep a short, documented retention period.
State and territory surveillance laws
On top of national privacy law, each state and territory has its own surveillance devices legislation that can affect where and how cameras are used, particularly around audio recording and notifying people that they may be recorded. For example, South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria and New South Wales each have their own Surveillance Devices Act with different rules on consent and notification. Because these laws differ and are periodically updated, services should confirm current requirements with their state regulatory authority or legal adviser rather than assuming the rules are the same as a neighbouring state.
Where cameras should never be placed
Regardless of jurisdiction, cameras should never be installed in nappy change areas, toilets or other spaces where children have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Camera placement should focus on shared, communal areas such as entries, yards, corridors and group rooms, and should be planned with your state regulatory authority's guidance and your Quality Improvement Plan in mind.
Telling families and staff
Good practice is to include CCTV use in enrolment handbooks and staff policies, covering why cameras are used, which areas are covered, who can access footage, how long footage is kept and who to contact with questions. This supports transparency obligations under the APPs and builds family trust.
Secure storage and access
Footage should be stored securely, with access limited to authorised staff for defined purposes such as reviewing an incident. Many services set a short retention window and avoid routine re-watching of footage for general staff monitoring, keeping the focus on safety events rather than day-to-day performance review.
Why recording alone is not supervision
A camera that only records footage for later review does not help an educator notice a child wandering toward a gate right now. That is the core limitation of traditional CCTV: it is a record, not a real-time supervision aid.
This is where AI-assisted alerts can add value. CCTV supervision tools like SooperVision are designed to support educators by flagging safety-relevant events - such as a gate left open or a child near a pool fence - from existing camera feeds. Face recognition is intentionally switched off for this kind of supervision: it does not recognise or identify any child, family member or educator, it detects people and specific safety events only, and any snapshot attached to an alert has faces blurred. It is a layer that supports active supervision; it does not replace educators watching and engaging with children.
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General information only, not legal advice. Check current requirements with your state or territory regulatory authority.