Beyond Background Checks: Safeguarding in International Kindergartens

In recent months, Australia has been shaken by a series of high-profile child abuse cases in early childhood settings, exposing critical flaws in how we vet those entrusted with the care of our youngest children. Among the most disturbing is the case of Joshua Brown, a Melbourne-based childcare worker charged with over 70 offenses, including sexual assault and the production of child abuse material. Over an eight-year period, he worked across 20 childcare centres, undetected, despite holding a valid Working With Children Check (WWCC).

This case, and others like it, reveal a devastating truth: police background checks, while necessary, are not enough.

For international kindergartens and early years centres, the challenge is even more complex. Staff frequently move across borders, often with limited documentation or inconsistent regulatory oversight between countries. In these transient environments, the limitations of traditional background checks are compounded by jurisdictional gaps, cultural barriers, and a lack of shared safeguarding standards.

So, what can international early years providers do to go beyond paper-based clearances and build truly safe environments for children?

Understanding the Limits of Background Checks

A background check like Australia’s WWCC or the UK’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check only identifies individuals with a known criminal history. Enhanced checks are more detailed and may include additional information held by local police considered relevant to the role including whether someone is on a barred list from working with children. These more advanced checks offer extra layers of scrutiny, but they still have critical flaws.

They do not flag low-level concerns, patterns of worrying behaviour, or informal safeguarding issues that haven’t led to police action. In some cases, institutions have covered up or failed to report allegations entirely, leaving no record for future employers to find. Even the most robust checks are only accurate at the moment they are completed. They are rarely updated in real time. An individual could offend and continue working with children for months or years before that offence appears on their record - if it ever does.

In an international setting, background checks become even less reliable. Teachers and childcare workers may have lived and worked in several countries, each with different systems, languages, and levels of data protection. Verifying a full employment history can be extremely difficult, and even when documentation exists, it might not reveal behavioural concerns that occurred without police involvement. Requesting background checks from both the candidate’s home country and the country where they will be working can be beneficial, helping to provide a more comprehensive picture of their history.

Building a Multi-Layered Safeguarding Culture

Truly protecting children in early years settings means shifting from a box-ticking compliance mindset to a proactive safeguarding culture.

That begins with safer recruitment. This involves more than requesting police checks; it means asking probing, scenario-based interview questions to assess an applicant's values, judgement, and understanding of child safety. References should always be requested from senior leadership or direct line managers (not peers) and ideally sent from an official school email address. Do not rely on references that could come from a sympathetic colleague or personal friend. International schools should go beyond written testimonials by contacting former employers directly and asking specific, safeguarding-focused questions about the candidate's professional conduct.

Staff with short stints at many institutions or gaps in their employment history should be examined more closely. A pattern of frequent moves might suggest attempts to outrun disciplinary concerns. While international mobility is common in education, it's not an excuse to abandon scrutiny.

Open environments are equally critical. Early years centres should be designed to avoid blind spots and encourage visibility. Classrooms with windows, open doors, and staff rotations help ensure no adult is ever left alone with children for prolonged periods without oversight. CCTV cameras should be installed in appropriate shared spaces such as classrooms, corridors, and playgrounds. Not to replace active supervision, but to serve as an additional safeguard and deterrent. These recordings can also assist in reviewing incidents or responding to concerns. Mobile phones should be prohibited during shifts unless used through centre-managed devices for educational or operational purposes.

Training must also be ongoing. One-time safeguarding modules during onboarding aren’t sufficient. Staff need regular refreshers on recognising inappropriate conduct, noticing early warning signs, handling disclosures, and setting clear professional boundaries. Just as importantly, they must know how and where to report concerns both within the school and to external agencies. Crucially, this training must include everyone who interacts with children in the school community. Safeguarding training should extend far beyond classroom teachers. Every adult who interacts with children, whether they are janitors, security staff, helpers (often called “aunties”), bus drivers, kitchen staff, or administrative personnel, must be equipped to recognise signs of concern, respond appropriately, and contribute to a safe, protective environment. Safeguarding is a whole-school responsibility!

Addressing the International Gap

Many international kindergartens operate in countries without strong centralised safeguarding systems. In some locations, early years centres may not be subject to the same child protection legislation as schools. Staff may not be legally required to undergo safeguarding training or hold formal teaching qualifications even though they work directly with young children. There may also be no national authority maintaining offender registries or requirements to report suspected abuse or misconduct to external agencies.

In these cases, the responsibility falls heavily on the kindergarten. Leaders must develop and enforce robust internal safeguarding policies, clear reporting procedures, and strong accountability measures—and ensure every staff member is trained to follow them.

At a broader level, kindergartens can advocate for the development of regional or international safeguarding registries to help track misconduct across borders. Until such systems exist, international kindergartens should commit to keeping detailed internal records (within legal limits) and sharing relevant safeguarding information with trusted schools to prevent repeat offenders from moving freely within the sector.

Parents, too, are essential partners in prevention. Kindergartens should build a culture of openness where families feel welcome to ask questions, raise concerns, and engage in dialogue about safety. Transparency builds trust and a school community that talks openly about safeguarding is far harder for abusers to exploit.

Conclusion

The heartbreaking events in Australia remind us that safeguarding can never be passive. Background checks are a necessary starting point, but they cannot be the end of a school’s responsibility. Protecting young children demands a proactive, ongoing commitment to transparency, vigilance, and a culture of accountability.

If you work in an early years setting, now is the time to reflect: What are we doing beyond background checks? The answer could make all the difference for the children in your care.

TeachUp’s Safer Recruitment course gives you the practical tools and insights you need to confidently assess and hire staff who are truly suitable to work with children.

Article written by Stephanie Hobler