Apply for a South Australian Working with Children Check through the DHS Screening Unit — $145 for paid workers, free for volunteers, valid 5 years — with employers able to lodge on a candidate’s behalf.
Overview
South Australia's Working with Children Check is run by the DHS Screening Unit in the Department of Human Services, under the Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2016. The assessment goes beyond a police check: it weighs national criminal history including charges and court outcomes, plus child protection information held by government agencies.
For 2026–27 the fee is $145 for employment purposes and free for volunteers. SA also runs a genuinely useful student category — tertiary students on official placements pay a single $73.50 fee covering their placement screening — and a $29-per-year arrangement for volunteers who also hold paid employment. A clearance is valid for 5 years and is monitored continuously across that term.
A practical difference employers appreciate: organisations can register with the Screening Unit and lodge applications on behalf of candidates, rather than waiting on each individual to self-initiate. For high-volume hiring in care, education and disability services, initiating the check at offer stage through the portal shortens time-to-start measurably.
SA checks are portable across roles within the state — one valid WWCC covers any child-related role for its 5-year life — but not across borders. RefChecks verifies a candidate's SA clearance status and expiry with the screening register and keeps the verification evidence in the candidate's report.
What's Included
SA child-facing care roles sit inside a screening regime that also covers NDIS and vulnerable-person checks — the same DHS unit runs them all, but each check must be held separately.
Teachers and school staff need the $145 employment check, while tertiary students on official placement use the $73.50 student rate — one fee regardless of how many placements their course requires.
Registered organisations can lodge WWCC applications on behalf of candidates through the DHS portal — start checks at offer stage instead of waiting for the candidate to self-apply.
Volunteer checks are free in SA, and volunteers who also take up paid work can use the $29-per-year employment arrangement instead of paying the full fee upfront.
Process
Lodge online through the DHS Screening Unit portal, or have a registered organisation initiate the application for you. Employment applications cost $145; volunteer applications are free.
The Screening Unit reviews national criminal history — including charges and court outcomes — alongside child protection information. Most outcomes arrive within a few weeks.
The clearance is valid for 5 years across any SA child-related role, monitored continuously. Employers verify status and expiry against the screening register.
Turnaround & Pricing
Turnaround Time
Most outcomes within a few weeks
Included in all plans
From $49/month
Clearance verification is a per-check cost on top of your plan quota. The SA government fee ($145 employment / free volunteer) is paid to the DHS Screening Unit.
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