WA New Educator Checklist: What to Have Before Day One

These are good-practice checks to have on file before a new educator's first day at a WA education and care service. Not every item is a legal requirement before day one. The sections below set out the dates WA does require.

1. WWC card, current on the WA Government register. Check the card number against the register and keep the result with the date you checked it. A card in someone's wallet isn't the same as a current card.
2. Police check. A recent police check, with the outcome kept on their file.
3. Two references. Ideally from people who supervised them working with children, with your questions and their answers recorded.
4. Right to work. Confirm they're allowed to work in Australia, and note any visa conditions or expiry date.
5. ID. Sight photo ID and make sure the name matches their WWC card, police check and payroll details.
6. Child safety training for their role. Record which modules they've completed and when. Completing Foundation training before day one is good practice; the required timeframes are in the training dates below.

Keep all six together in one file per educator. When the regulator, an assessor or your own audit asks, you can show the whole picture at once.

WA hasn't yet legislated "no card, no start" for education and care services. The Department of Communities says the legislative changes are still in progress, and strongly encourages approved providers to apply "no card, no start" wherever possible, with supervision arrangements as a risk control.

If a new educator has applied but doesn't have their card yet, record the application, the status it shows and the supervision you've put in place. Then check the card itself once it's issued.

Under regulations 176B and 176C, a WWC card holder must tell the approved provider within 24 hours of any change to their card status, and the provider must notify the Regulatory Authority within 24 hours of becoming aware of it.

Approved providers must give ACECQA information about every worker who isn't a visitor, for the National Early Childhood Worker Register. WA's child safety amendments took effect on 1 November 2026, with a transition period for the register.

• Existing workers: submit their details by 30 November 2026.
• New workers after 30 November 2026: enter them within 14 days of engagement.
• Changes: enter or update a worker's details within 14 days of any change.

The provider is responsible for the register entry. Having the six checklist items in one file makes the 14-day window easy to meet for each new starter.

Child safety training is set by ACECQA for each jurisdiction. Foundation Child Safety Training is Modules 1 and 2, and Advanced Child Safety Training is Modules 3, 4 and 5. In WA, the Foundation training also meets the child protection training requirement.

• Existing workers: WA has a transition period. Foundation and Advanced training are due by 30 April 2027. Training completed before 1 November 2026 counts.
• Newly engaged workers, after the transition: Foundation training within 14 days of engagement, or before working directly with children, whichever comes first. Advanced training within 3 months of engagement.
• Refresher: both are refreshed every 2 years.

Record the completion date for each module. You'll need it for the refresher and for the Worker Register.

RefChecks checks each WWC card against the WA Government register and keeps the result with the educator's references and police check outcome in one file. Your team can see who's ready to start on one status board.

The register entry and any notifications to the regulator stay with you as the approved provider.