Few situations create more stress for educators than a parent or carer arriving to collect a child who is not on the authorised pickup list, or a family dispute that spills into pickup time. Getting this wrong can mean a child leaving with someone a court has ordered them to be kept from, so services need clear, well-rehearsed procedures.
This guide sets out what the national regulations require around authorised nominees, how to handle custody orders and apprehended violence orders (AVOs), and practical verification steps your centre can put in place today. It also looks at how consent-based tools like Authorised Pickup verification can support (not replace) good policy and trained staff.
What the regulations say about authorised nominees
Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations, approved providers must take reasonable steps to ensure a child is only collected by a parent or an authorised nominee. Services are required to keep enrolment records that list the people authorised to collect each child, and educators are expected to check identity before release where the person is not well known to them.
Families should be asked to update authorised pickup lists whenever circumstances change, for example after a separation, a new partner moving in, or a change in extended family arrangements. A stale list is one of the most common causes of unauthorised pickup incidents.
- Maintain an up-to-date authorised nominee list in each child's enrolment record
- Record any changes in writing, signed by a parent or guardian with parental responsibility
- Brief all educators, including casual and relief staff, on current pickup arrangements each day
Court orders, parenting orders and AVOs
Where a family law parenting order, family violence order or AVO restricts who may collect a child, services need a sighted, current copy of the order on file, not just a verbal account from one parent. Services generally cannot refuse a parent with legal parental responsibility access unless an order specifically restricts it, so directors should seek their own legal advice where arrangements are unclear or contested rather than relying on one parent's interpretation.
Keep a clear, confidential note in the child's file summarising what the order permits and prohibits, and make sure this is communicated to the educators who work in that room, while respecting family privacy.
- Request a certified or sighted copy of any relevant court order
- Store a plain-language summary separately from material shared with other families
- Review and update the file whenever a new or varied order is provided
Verification steps at the point of pickup
A consistent verification routine reduces the chance of a mistake during a busy pickup period. For people not well known to staff, this should include checking photo identification against the authorised nominee list, and confirming with a second educator if there is any doubt.
Some services use an optional, consent-based Authorised Pickup module alongside these procedures. This is face verification of adults who have opted in, used only to confirm that a person collecting a child matches the list of authorised adults on file. Children are never enrolled or identified by this type of tool, it only ever checks the identity of the consenting adult at the gate.
- Check photo ID against the authorised nominee list for unfamiliar collectors
- Have a second staff member confirm identity when in doubt
- Use an optional consent-based verification tool as a supporting check, not a substitute for staff judgement
Record keeping and responding to an incident
If an unauthorised pickup attempt occurs, or a parent subject to a restricting order arrives, staff should follow the service's incident procedure: do not release the child, contact the nominated emergency contact or the other parent, and notify police if there is an immediate safety concern or a breach of a court order. A written incident record should be completed as soon as practicable, consistent with the service's obligations to notify the regulatory authority of serious incidents.
Regularly reviewing these records as part of your quality improvement plan helps identify gaps, such as outdated contact details or inconsistent staff briefings, before they become a serious incident.
Sources
Related
General information only, not legal advice. Check current requirements with your state or territory regulatory authority.