As of Monday, employees of early childhood education and care facilities are prohibited from using personal devices to take photos of children in early childhood education and care facilities.

From Monday, childcare and education facilities that have signed up to the new National Model Code and Guidelines will be banned from using private phones to take photographs of children.

Staff in any childcare setting that adopts the Code and Guidelines – a strongly recommended measure – may only wear personal devices in limited circumstances, such as for health or family reasons.

From Monday, photographing children will only be allowed on service devices.

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The guidelines define a personal device as anything that can take pictures or record video, such as mobile phones, digital cameras, tablets, smartwatches, and “other new and emerging technologies if those technologies have the ability to take pictures or record video.”

The guidelines also cover personal storage devices such as SD cards, USB drives, hard drives, as well as “using a cloud-based application that can store images or video recordings.”

The new guidance is intended for use in full-day care, preschool and kindergarten settings – it does not cover out-of-school hours care (OSHC), but can be adapted to the context of each care provider, the guidance says.

Education Minister Jason Clare and Early Years Education Minister Dr. Anne Aly issued a joint statement on Monday outlining the new rules.

“From today, the new Code and guidelines state that only devices issued by the service may be used to photograph or film children,” the statement reads.

The federal, state and territory governments’ actions respond to recommendations from the Australian Child Care Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).

Clare praised the country’s current childcare system but said more could be done.

“Australia has a very good early childhood education and care system, but more can be done to ensure that safety guidelines and measures are fit for purpose.

“The safety and protection of children in early childhood education is our highest priority.”

Aly added that child safety reform ensures that safety measures “remain relevant and fit for purpose” and that a “child safety culture” is embedded in the services provided by providers.

The “child safety culture” section of the guidance raised questions about consent for photography, social media, managing special events, channels through which staff can express concerns, and internal controls and settings.

Education and Early Years Ministers at state and territory levels across Australia have expressed their support for a national model.