Blue Card
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General Information
Who needs a blue card?
A person will need a blue card if they propose to work, in a paid or voluntary capacity, or to carry on a business, in a child-related area regulated by the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Act 2000.
What child-related activities are regulated?
Both paid employees and volunteers may need a blue card if they fall under one of the following categories:
- residential facilities
- school boarding houses
- *schools – employees other than teachers and parents
- *child care
- churches, clubs and associations involving children
- health, counselling and support services
- private teaching, coaching or tutoring
- *education programs conducted outside of schools
- child accommodation services, including homestays
- *religious representatives
- sport and active recreation
- *emergency services cadet programs, and
- *school crossing supervisors
- *care of children under the Child Protection Act 1999
NB: People working in the categories which are bolded and marked with an asterisk (*) need a blue card irrespective of the date they began regulated employment.
Paid employees
People working as a paid employee in the categories not bolded or marked with an asterisk (*) only need a blue card if they started work on or after 1 May 2001.
Volunteers
People volunteering in the categories not bolded or marked with an asterisk (*) only need a blue card if they started work on or after 1 May 2002.
A volunteer, unless exempt, must have a blue card before they start volunteering in one of the above categories, regardless of how often they come into contact with children and young people.
Paid employees must apply for a blue card if they work, or are likely to work, in one of the above categories over 12 months, for at least:
- eight consecutive days; or
- once a week, each week, over four weeks; or
- once a fortnight, each fortnight, over eight weeks; or
- once a month, each month, over six months.
Note: A paid employee can commence work pending the outcome of their blue card application.
Trainee students
A student, irrespective of their age, studying at a registered training organisation, university or TAFE, will require a blue card if they carry out work in one of the above categories as part of their study.
Note: A trainee student must have a blue card before they start volunteering in one of the above categories, regardless of how often they come into contact with children and young people.
A service or activity provided by a person may be considered to be a business irrespective of whether the service or activity provided is for profit or not for profit.
The service or activity must however fall within one of the categories of business regulated by the Commission’s Act.
- health, counselling and support services
- private teaching, coaching and tutoring
- child care
- education programs outside schools
- religious representatives
- child accommodation services, including homestays
- providers of sport and active recreation activities
- operators of hostels for rural children.
- businesses relating to licensed care services under the Child Protection Act 1999
Note: People commencing a business in one of the above categories on or after 1 February 2002 need a blue card.
Exemptions - Is anyone exempt from the Working with Children Check?
There are exemptions for certain individuals under some of the categories of regulated employment and business. You should check whether an exemption applies under each category of regulated employment or business that applies to you.
It is also important to note that an exemption under one category of regulated employment or regulated business does not automatically result in exemption from another category. The Act provides that the exemptions are category specific, and are not transferable across categories of regulated employment or business.
Last Updated: November 21, 2008