Major Change in the Childcare Photography Sector: Goodstart Policy Shift and Industry Response

If you haven’t already heard, Goodstart Early Learning has announced a sudden policy change to stop all professional childcare photography at the end of October 2025. This includes all upcoming bookings for the remainder of the year.

We have been in contact with Goodstart and at this stage, no clear reason has been communicated for the abrupt shift for child care photography. However, Goodstart representatives have indicated that they “expect to re-engage on appropriate future settings in 2026.” While this offers some reassurance, it also leaves a long period of uncertainty for many small businesses and contractors who rely on early learning photography as part of their livelihood.

🧩 Industry Alignment and the Way Forward

Over the past year, we’ve been working closely with childcare photography companies to ensure their policies align with the National Model Code and broader ACECQA guidelines. These frameworks were designed to ensure safety, professionalism, and data integrity in all early learning environments.

In fact, several of these aligned policy documents were reviewed and accepted by Goodstart in June 2025 — which makes the recent policy reversal all the more surprising.

🛠 A Unified Industry Response

In light of these developments, we’re bringing together a national group of childcare photography companies to develop a consistent, transparent, and safety-led approach to early learning photography.

The goal is to create a national accreditation and compliance framework that not only meets but exceeds the National Model Code.

One idea under discussion is to partner with an established industry body, such as the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA), that would maintain a national checklist and accreditation system — formally recognising “Approved Childcare Photography Providers.”

This framework could serve as a benchmark for both childcare operators and parents, ensuring that only accredited, safety-verified providers are engaged in early learning environments.

This is just a thought that will be discussed

🔄 Ongoing Dialogue

We’re maintaining open communication with Goodstart’s Safeguard Team and other early learning networks to seek clarity and advocate for a balanced, evidence-based policy approach.

According to ACECQA, the responsibility for implementing and interpreting the National Code ultimately lies with each childcare organisation. This means photography companies themselves must now lead proactively — developing and demonstrating clear compliance systems and transparent data-handling practices.

💬 Join the Conversation

To support collaboration and information-sharing, we’ve created a dedicated Facebook group for all childcare photographers affected by these changes. It’s a space to coordinate, discuss, and stay informed as the industry navigates this transition:

👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/24706424975718717

In summary:

This moment represents both a challenge and an opportunity.

By coming together under shared standards of safety, transparency, and professionalism, childcare photographers can help shape the next chapter of early learning photography in Australia — one that is trusted, compliant, and future-ready.