Commencement of amendments to the Working with Children Act

From 1 September 2022 the Working with Children Act will:

• Authorise exchange of certain working with children check information with interstate screening agencies.
• Facilitate NSW participation in a national database of negative working with children check decisions (the National Reference System).
• Prevent persons who have been convicted of bestiality or serious animal cruelty offences from applying for review of a working with children check decision.
• Include additional animal cruelty offences as risk assessment triggers.
• Include serious animal cruelty offences as disqualifying offences.
• Allow animal welfare agencies – the Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSW) and the Animal Welfare League – to share animal cruelty information with the Children’s Guardian.