News

We have received an increase in enquiries asking about changes to the parent volunteer exemption. There have been NO changes to the parent volunteer exemption.

Support of the parent volunteer exemption continues, with many organisations recognising the important role that parent volunteers play by being involved in their children’s lives and helping to create child safe organisations.

This exemption has also been endorsed in the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses into Child Sexual Abuse, which has recommended that other state governments amend their laws to include an exemption for parents/ guardians who volunteer for services or activities that are usually provided to their children. Consistent with WA, the parent volunteer exemption will not apply to overnight stays and some other situations.

In WA the parent volunteer exemption has been in effect since the WWC scheme was initiated in 2006. For more information about the exemption and how it applies please see Factsheet 4: The Parent Volunteer Exemption.

There are many things you can do to create a child-safe and friendly organisation. A WWC Check is only one strategy to help keep children safe. For more information about child safety see our Child Safety page. 

The WWC Check website will be unavailable from 8am to 12pm on 11 August 2018. During this time, you will be unable to use our online services and renew online. We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience during this time.

Do you manage WWC Checks for an organisation? Attend a free workshop and learn more about WWC Checks, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and child safety. Click here for more information about the workshop.

The WWC Check website will be unavailable for a short time on 28 July 2018. From 8am to 12pm, you will be unable to use our online services and renew online. We hope to have all online services available after midday and thank you for your patience and understanding during this time. 

Register an online account as a card holder to have access to additional services. Having an online account allows you to easily keep your personal information current, update your email address to receive reminders when your WWC Card is due to expire, check the status of your Check, request a replacement WWC Card online and use the online Card renewal process. Click here to register an account.

From 1 July 2018, a WWC Check application and renewal for paid employees and self-employed people will increase from $84 to $85. This small increase is in line with CPI. Fortunately for applicants, the cost of the Check, is heavily subsidised by Government and does not reflect the full cost of the ‘live’ Check.

There are no fee changes to the cost of a Check for volunteers or unpaid people, or for replacement WWC Cards, which remains at $11.

The WWC Community Engagement Team will be presenting a free community workshop in Bunbury in May 2018. For more information and to register your attendance click here to visit our Events page.

Attend the free ‘WWC Check and Child Safety Made Simple’ workshop and learn more about WWC Checks, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and child safety. Click here for more information about the workshop.

The WWC Check website will be unavailable on the weekend of 20 and 21 January 2018. During this time, you will be unable to use our online services and renew online. We expect to be back online on Monday morning. We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

If your WWC Card expires on either of these days, be sure to renew online before the above dates. Once your Card has expired, you will no longer be eligible to renew online. Instead, you will have to lodge a new application at an authorised Australia Post outlet. For more information click here.

If your WWC Card has expired, you are not eligible to renew your WWC Card online. Instead, you must complete an Application for a Working with Children Check form and lodge it at an authorised Australia Post outlet. For more information about re-applying for a WWC Check click here.

Be sure to re-apply when you commence child-related work as it is an offence to engage in child-related work if your WWC Card has expired and you have not re-applied.

The WWC Check website will be unavailable on 6 and 7 January 2018. During this time, you will be unable to use our online services and renew online. We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

If your WWC Card expires on this weekend, be sure to renew online before the above dates. Once your Card has expired, you will no longer be eligible to renew online. Instead, you will have to lodge a new application at an authorised Australia Post outlet.

The office of the WWC Screening Unit will be closed from 25 December 2017 to 1 January 2018 and will reopen on Tuesday 2 January 2018. During this time, you will still be able to use our online services to renew your WWC Card and check that a WWC Card is valid. You can also continue to lodge your application at authorised Australia Post outlets. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Did you know that when you submit an online renewal your authorised representative must confirm your child-related work before your renewal can be accepted and processed? 

If your WWC Card is due to expire during the December holiday break be sure to discuss this with your manager. They will advise you when you should submit your online renewal and who you should nominate as your authorised representative. 

To limit delays in processing, it is best that it be a representative who will be working during the break and who is available to confirm any online renewals. For schools, who are closed for most of this time, principals may ask you to renew before school closes for the break or when school recommences in the new year.

Be sure to renew before your WWC Card expires, but remember you can only renew your WWC Card three months prior to its expiry (and no earlier).

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday!

Did you know that you can now check the status of your WWC application and renewal online? No need to call us, simply head to the WWC Application Status page and enter your WWC application number and surname to check its progress.

Where your application has been finalised you can expect your WWC Card in the mail in the near future. Click here to visit the WWC Application Status page.

The WWC Community Engagement Team will be presenting a workshop in Wongan Hills on 26 October 2017. This free community workshop will be held at the Wongan Hills Community Resource Centre and will provide information about WWC Checks and child safeguarding. For more information and to register your attendance click here.  

Do you use online services or ‘sharing economy’ platforms to find services for your child? This could be looking for a babysitter on Gumtree or Facebook or finding a homework tutor on Airtasker. These services are becoming more popular with parents and families but have risks. The WWC Screening Unit has collaborated with the Office of the eSafety Commissioner to provide advice to parents when using these services. Click here to read the eSafety Commissioner’s blog: ‘Can parenting be outsourced in the sharing economy?’ 

On 1 July 2017 a small fee increase will take effect for employees and self-employed people. This increase from $83.00 to $84.00 is in line with CPI and applies to applications and renewals.

There is no change to the fees for volunteers and unpaid people and the cost for replacement cards, which will continue to be charged at $11.00.

The cost of a WWC Check to applicants and organisations does not reflect the full cost of the Check, which includes ongoing ‘live’ checking and is heavily subsidised by Government.

For more information about fees click here to see our Fees page.

The WWC Community Engagement Team will be visiting Christmas Island from 23 to 27 May 2017. While on island the team is available to offer support and information about WWC Checks and creating safer environments for children and young people to organisations and groups who work with children, as well as interested community members. 

There is also a free community information session being held on 26 May 2017, click here for information about the information session.

If you would like more information about the visit or you would like to arrange a meeting please call (08) 6217 8100 or email WWCEvents@cpfs.wa.gov.au.

The WWC Community Engagement Team will be visiting Broome in May. A free ‘WWC Check: Safeguarding in Action’ workshop for community members will be held on 17 May 2017. For more workshop information click here.