Child-related employment

Child-related employment screening checks assess whether a potential employee or volunteer could pose a risk to the safety of children, based on their criminal history and child protection information. These checks are valid for three years and are continuously monitored.

From 1 July 2019, a new Working with Children Check replaced the child-related employment screening.

A child-related employment screening check will be recognised as a working with Children Check until it expires. Then, you must apply for a Working with Children Check.

Employees and volunteers working with children in the following service areas need a child-related employment screening check:

• health
• child and family welfare
• education
• sporting or recreational
• religious or spiritual instruction
• child care and child protection
• cultural
• entertainment
• residential.

A range of information is assessed to work or volunteer with children. If there are any relevant offences, the Screening Unit will also consider:

• the nature of and circumstances surrounding the offence
• the presence of a pattern of offending (if any)
• time elapsed since the offence was committed
• severity of a court-imposed penalty
• offender’s age at the time of the offence
• the age and vulnerability of the victim
• the offender’s relationship to the victim and their age difference
• whether a child played a part in committing the offence (either directly or indirectly)
• relevance of the offence to the individual’s work or volunteer role
• the offender's conduct since the offence.

A child-related employment screening check from the Department of Human Services Screening Unit is valid for three years and is continuously monitored to ensure an individual’s clearance remains up-to-date.

From 1 July 2019, a new working with children check replaces the child-related employment screening. A child-related employment screening check will be recognised as a working with children check until it expires.

Before 1 July 2019, you can still apply for a child-related employment screening check.

Related information

• Frequently asked questions about Working with Children Checks
• Working with Children Check Guidelines - July 2019
• Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
• South Australian Child Protection Systems Royal Commission (also known as the Nyland Report)
• Working with Children Check - Information for Organisations - March 2020 (PDF 402.8 KB)
• Legislation
• South Australian Department of Child Protection
• Relevant history screening for the South Australian Department of Education
• Each state and territory in Australia is different and has its own procedures around working with children. Find out more about working with children checks outside of South Australia:
  • New South Wales
  • Victoria
  • Queensland
  • Western Australia
  • Australian Capital Territory
  • Northern Territory
  • Tasmania