The Sector Connect + ECEC Compliance & Risk Forum
Description
Beyond Compliance: From Response to Recovery
This full-day, in-person forum brings together early childhood professionals and sector leaders to explore practical solutions and strategic insights around ECEC risk and compliance. Presented by The Sector and supported by Storypark and ChildAware, this event builds on the success of the Connect+ series and offers an intimate, curated space for robust discussion and professional connection.
"Keeping children safe isn't something any of us can do alone. That's why we're proud to support a forum that goes beyond compliance to ask how the sector can build services where children are safe and thriving. It's a conversation we care about at Storypark, and one we want to be part of, alongside the leaders and educators doing this work every day." - Katie Dowle, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Storypark
ABOUT THE FORUM
The past few years have tested early childhood education and care providers like never before. Increased scrutiny, reform, workforce pressures and changing community expectations have challenged even the strongest early learning services and organisations.
But across the sector, providers have also responded. They have strengthened systems, supported teams, rebuilt trust and gained greater clarity about what safe, high quality early learning requires.
The Sector Connect + ECEC Compliance and Risk Forum 2026 is not another conversation about what has gone wrong. It is a full-day, in-person leadership forum focused on what comes next.
The program will examine what happens before, during and after a compliance or risk challenge, including communication with families, workforce confidence, organisational learning, insurance considerations, social media pressure and the rebuilding of trust.
At its core, the Forum is anchored in three practical leadership priorities being prevention, response and recovery. It will support early learning services and providers to reflect on their current approach, learn from others and move forward with confidence in a future that is unequivocally child safety led.
This is more than a traditional compliance conference.
It is a practical leadership forum about recovery, confidence and what it really takes to build sustainable, well-governed ECEC organisations in an operating environment that is undeniably in transition.
Join us as we curate and deliver The Sector Connect + ECEC Compliance & Risk Forum in September 2026 in Sydney, NSW.
Agenda
Policy in practice: Understanding the complexities of regulatory oversight - Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?
After a period of unprecedented reform, scrutiny and change, many providers are asking: what comes next? This opening conversation brings together sector leaders to provide perspective on where the sector has been, what has changed, and why there is reason for confidence about the future. Rather than focusing only on regulation and reform, this discussion will explore how the sector moves from reaction to rebuilding, strengthening trust, improving consistency and supporting providers to lead with confidence. Delegates will leave with greater confidence about the road ahead, practical insight into what comes next, and a clearer understanding of how to continue building safe, resilient and high-quality services. Moderated by: Jason Roberts, CEO - Sector Publishing Panelists include: - Stacey Fox, Associate Director - Donaldo Partners - Paul Mondo, President. - Australian Childcare Alliance
Managing compliance in real time: An operators perspective
Every provider has experienced moments that have tested their leadership. The difference is what they learnt from them. This session moves beyond policy and compliance theory to explore the real decisions, challenges and lessons that shape effective leadership in early childhood education and care. Through honest conversations and lived experience, panellists will share how they navigated compliance failures, quality challenges, difficult regulatory interactions and organisational change. Rather than presenting perfect outcomes, the discussion will focus on practical problem-solving, continuous improvement and the leadership behaviours that help organisations become stronger after adversity. Delegates will leave with practical insights they can immediately apply within their own organisations, along with greater confidence to identify risk early, strengthen governance and build cultures of accountability, learning and resilience. Moderated by: Jason Roberts, CEO - Sector Publishing Panelists include: - Jenni Gaffney, Head of Growth and Performance at Simba Education and previously Chief Network Officer at Young Academics - Brendon Andereson, Regional Manager at Guardian - Lisa Jones, Executive Director Risk & Transformation at Only About Children
Prevention is Better than Cure - How to truly Safeguard your Service from Compliance Risk
As the sector moves from response into recovery, strong organisations are looking beyond compliance and asking a different question, what risks are we not seeing yet? This panel brings together experts in risk management, insurance, governance and crisis communication to explore the issues that can impact providers before, during and after a significant event. Rather than revisiting what has gone wrong, this conversation will focus on practical strategies, emerging risks and the systems leaders can put in place to strengthen organisational resilience. Delegates will leave with new perspectives, practical considerations and a clearer understanding of the actions they can take today to protect their people, their reputation and the communities they support. Moderated by: Jason Roberts, CEO - Sector Publishing Panelists include: - Susie Wilson, Founder and CEO at ChildAware - Phoebe Netto, Managing Director at Pure Public Relations - Samantha Dellamarta, Senior Advisor at Safeguarding Australia - Leigh Harper, Business Development Leader at Howden Insurance
Fireside Chat with a leading ECEC Voice - Leading beyond compliance: building a safer organisation
As expectations around governance and organisational accountability continue to evolve, providers are recognising that compliance alone is not enough. Building safe, high-quality services requires sustained investment in leadership, culture, systems and risk prevention. In this exclusive fireside conversation, our guest will share their approach to strengthening organisational capability, including its investment in specialist safety leadership, governance, workforce capability and risk management. Drawing on practical leadership experience, the discussion will explore how one of Australia’s largest providers is embedding safety beyond compliance, responding to emerging risks, supporting teams through change and building organisational resilience in an increasingly complex operating environment. Guest to be announced soon.
FAQs
- Registration
Seats are strictly limited for this in-person event.
Registration includes full-day catering and event materials
Early Bird Tickets are $425 plus GST
Full price Tickets from 1 August 2026 are $475 plus GST
Join 300 early learning professionals for a full day of insight, strategy and sector connection.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
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