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Agenda now finalised as ECEC Compliance and Risk Forum approaches

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Fiona Alston

Aug 25, 2026

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With less than two weeks to go the team at The Sector are thrilled to confirm the agenda for the upcoming ECEC Compliance and Risk Forum. This must-attend event will bring together senior leaders from across policy, operations, safeguarding, risk, insurance and communications.

There is no doubt that Australia’s early childhood education and care sector is navigating a period of significant change.

“Increased scrutiny, regulatory reform, workforce pressures and changing community expectations are challenging providers to look beyond whether policies and procedures are in place and ask how do we know our systems are actually working?” Jason Roberts, Founder of The Sector said.

“These central questions, answered by seasoned professionals from across the sector, will be at the heart of what we intend to discuss on the day and what will make it a must attend and highly valuable experience.”

A must attend event with a Compliance and Risk Focus

On Friday 4 September, early learning professionals will come together in Sydney for a full day focused not simply on what has gone wrong across the sector, but what comes next.

Across three panels and an exclusive fireside conversation, the Forum will examine what happens before, during and after a compliance or risk challenge, anchored around three practical leadership priorities: prevention, response and recovery.

The day begins with Policy in Practice: Understanding the complexities of regulatory oversight – Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? moderated by The Sector Founder and CEO Jason Roberts and bringing together Paul Mondo, President of the Australian Childcare Alliance, and Stacey Fox, Associate Director at Donaldo Partners.

The second panel, Managing compliance in real time: An operator's perspective moves beyond policy and theory to explore the decisions, challenges and lessons that shape leadership when systems are tested with Lisa Jones, Executive Director Transformation & Risk at Only About Children; Brendon Anderson, Regional Manager at Guardian; and Jenni Gaffney, Head of Growth and Performance at Simba Education participating.

And our third panel, Prevention is Better than Cure – How to truly Safeguard your Service from Compliance Risk turns the traditional compliance conversation around by asking specialists, Susie Wilson, Founder and CEO of ChildAware; Phoebe Netto, Managing Director of Pure Public Relations; Samantha Dellamarta, Senior Advisor at Safeguarding Australia; and Leigh Harper, Business Development Leader at Howden Insurance their valuable perspectives.

Looking beyond compliance with ECEC “Legend” John Cherry to wrap up

The Forum will conclude with an exclusive fireside conversation between John Cherry, Goodstart Early Learning’s foundational Head of Advocacy, and Jason Roberts.

John brings a rare perspective spanning politics, advocacy, policy and more than a decade at the centre of Australian early learning.

His experience sits at the intersection of government policy and provider reality, understanding not only what reform is seeking to achieve, but what happens when that reform needs to be translated into practice across a large and complex early learning organisation.

The conversation will explore some of the bigger questions facing Australian ECEC, including:

child safety and organisational accountability
governance, culture and compliance
access, inclusion and quality
translating policy and regulatory reform into practice
strengthening public confidence
managing risk across complex organisations
where the next phase of reform may take the sector.

It will also provide an opportunity to step back from the immediate operational pressures of the day and learn about how John found himself as Head of Advocacy at Australia's largest Not for profit provider, his pathway through the senate and much more.

The ECEC Compliance & Risk Forum 2026 coming soon - 4 September, 2026 Sydney

On Friday 4 September 2026, The Sector Connect+ will bring together approved providers, executives, nominated supervisors, governance professionals, quality leaders and sector specialists for the ECEC Compliance & Risk Forum 2026, held under the theme Beyond Compliance: From Response to Recovery.

Held at Waterview, Bicentennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park, the forum will explore how ECEC organisations are navigating regulatory issues in real time and can strengthen their approach to prevention, response and recovery while building the leadership capability required in an increasingly complex operating environment.

The Forum has been designed to move beyond traditional discussions about compliance requirements and focus on the actual systems, behaviours and leadership decisions that are influencing quality, safety and organisational outcomes.

Compliance provides the foundation, but strong early learning services and organisations are built through leadership, proactive systems, confident decision-making and a culture of continuous improvement.

To learn more about the Forum please click here or to register to attend click here.

Sponsors: Storypark and Child Aware.

Spaces are limited. Secure your place and join the conversation about what stronger, safer and more resilient ECEC organisations look like.

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