
Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children during transportation is a critical responsibility for all education and care services. Under the Education and Care Services National Regulations, every service that provides or arranges transportation for enrolled children must have appropriate policies, procedures, risk assessments, written authorisations, and supporting resources in place. These documents must not only guide educator practice but also demonstrate compliance with key regulatory requirements.
Our team at the Childcare Centre Desktop, have recently completed a comprehensive review and update of our Safe Transportation Policy, procedure, and related documentation. The purpose of these updates is to provide clear, practical guidance for services and educators, and to help reduce the risk of serious incidents occurring during the transport of children. To further support best practice, we have also added several new resources to the Desktop Library.
Key Regulatory Requirements
Education and Care Services National Regulations 100-102 and 102A-102F, require the approved provider to ensure that transportation policies and procedures address a range of specific compliance areas. These include:
- Conducting risk assessments for all excursions where transportation is provided
- Obtaining written authorisations from parents/guardians prior to children leaving the Service
- Ensuring authorisations include specific transportation details
- Including transport specific considerations in all risk assessments, conducted prior to transportation taking place
- Notifying the regulatory authority if the Service begins to provide or ceases to provide regular transportation
- Implementing and recording supervision and attendance checks as children embark and disembark vehicles at the service
- Meeting staff qualification requirements for those supervising children during transportation
Importantly, all transportation related records must be retained for a minimum of three years after the child last attends the service.
Regulation 168 (2) (ga) Policy and Procedures
Our Safe Transportation Policy has been revised to provide stronger guidance for educators and management. It clarifies Service expectations and outlines the practices needed to ensure children are transported safely and in accordance with regulatory requirements. The policy supports Services to manage risks, obtain written authorisations, maintain supervision and implement safe practices throughout all stages of transporting children.
Members have access to our updated Safe Transportation Procedure which provides step by step guidance for educators to follow before, during and after transporting all children, whenever and wherever the service is providing or arranging transportation as part of our Service activity, ensuring consistent implementation of safety checks, supervision and documentation.
Regulation 102B, 102C – Risk Assessments
The Desktop Library includes a Transport Risk Assessment to assist Services to identify potential hazards and implement control strategies, specific to transportation as per regulation requirements. Specific details include information about the:
- the proposed route and duration
- pick up location and destination
- means of transport
- seat belt and safety restraint requirements
- any water hazards
- number of adults and children
- required specialised skills or qualifications from adults
- any items that should be available during transport
- the process for entering and exiting the service premises and pick up location or destination
- procedures for how each child is accounted for on embarking and disembarking the vehicle
The risk assessment MUST be conducted prior to authorisation being sought out for the child to be transported by the Service. The risk assessment for regular transportation MUST be reviewed every 12 months or after becoming aware of an incident or circumstance where the health, safety or wellbeing of children may be compromised.
Regulation 102D – Written Authorisations
Parents/guardians are required to provide written authorisation for their child to be transported by the Service or transport arranged by the Service. Desktop’s Transport Authorisation form includes all required information under regulatory requirements, including:
- Child’s name
- Reason for transport
- Date of transport or description of when child is to be transported (for regular transport)
- Description of pick-up location and destination
- Means of transport
- Period of time child is to be transported
- Anticipated number of children
- Anticipated number of staff/adults who will accompany and supervise children
- Seat belts or safety restraints requirements
- Confirmation that a risk assessment has been prepared and is available
- Policies and procedures are available
Providers must ensure children do not participate in transport activities unless written authorisation has been obtained by authorised persons nominated on the child’s enrolment form prior to children traveling on. If the authorisation is for regular transportation, the authorisation is only required to be obtained once in a 12-month period.
Regulation 102E and 102F – Children Embarking and Disembarking from Vehicles (Mandatory for LDC and OSHC Services)
National regulations require a designated educator, who is not the driver, to be present as children embark and disembark from the vehicle at the Service. This educator is responsible for ensuring each child is accounted for before, during and after transportation and ensuring relevant records are completed immediately.
Desktop’s Transport Attendance Record is designed to confirm that each child is accounted for and record how each child was accounted for as children have embarked and disembarked the vehicle. The form includes a declaration that the interior of the vehicle was inspected after children have exited. Each record must include the date, time, and the name and signature of the person completing it, the Transport Attendance Record is to be kept for a period of 3 years after the last day of attendance for the child.
Additional Resources
In addition to the above resources, Desktop members also have access to several new and updated resources to further support safe and compliant transportation.
Emergency Transport Folder: NEW form developed to support Services in creating an Emergency Transport Folder containing essential emergency information relating to children and educators. This folder is intended to be accessible to emergency services in the event that the driver or educators are unresponsive during an emergency.
Driver Declaration: NEW form developed for drivers to complete to confirm they hold a suitable licence, are fit to drive and are committed to following Service policies and procedures whilst operating the vehicle.
Vehicle Safety Report: NEW form available for the designated driver to complete to ensure the vehicle is inspected and confirmed to be in safe and roadworthy condition before each use.
Transportation Checklist: It is recommended that the designated educator complete this checklist each time transport is provided to children to ensure all safety, attendance and operational requirements are checked and completed prior to children being transported.
Find out how our membership can support your supervision practices and management: Click here: https://www.childcarecentredesktop.com.au





Reconciliation Week 27 May- 3 June 2020
Following the outbreak of a (new) coronavirus in December 2019 in the city of Wuhan, China, confirmed cases of this disease have been recorded around the world including Australia.
No doubt you will have discovered there still remains some confusion over the mechanisms & final steps to implement the new childcare subsidy package. The finer details of the CWA and changes to third party software (CCMS) still need to be ironed out so we have opted to wait rather than provide you with inaccurate instructions and resource adjustments.