What is happening?
The Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian is introducing the final stage of important improvements to the blue card system following recent changes to the Commission’s Act.
The final changes will impact a number of key groups and their blue card requirements, including;
- registered teachers and police officers will no longer require a blue card for regulated child-related activities outside of their professional duties and should instead apply for an exemption card, for other child-related work, where a blue card would previously have been required (such as volunteering at a sporting club or employment in a child care centre), registered teachers and police officers should now apply to the Commission for an exemption card;
- disability service providers who provide regulated disability services to children will now be screened by the Commission and they may be eligible for a yellow card exemption (issued by the Department of Communities) if they also provide disability services to adults through a non-government service provider funded under the Disability Services Act 2006; and
- local government employees who provide regulated child-related services to children will now be screened by the Commission, removing an exemption that previously existed under some categories. Examples of local government employees who may require blue card screening include
- youth and community development staff, including youth workers and counsellors; and
- sport and recreation staff.
Exemption Cards
- There is no fee to apply for an exemption card and it remains valid as long as the person is a registered teacher or police officer, unless cancelled earlier, and there is no need to reapply.
- The Commission will still assess a person’s eligibility to work with children and if a positive exemption card is issued, they will continue to monitor the person’s eligibility to work with children.
- An exemption card is transferrable so you can use it for all types of child-related work including volunteering or running your own business.
What do I need to do?
New staff commencing from 1 July 2010 onwards will need to comply with the new blue card requirements. However, there are transitional periods in place to allow organisations and individuals sufficient time to comply with these changes for existing employees.
- Police officers and registered teachers can continue to use their existing blue card until their expiry date.
- Disability service providers and staff who have existing yellow cards can continue to use their yellow cards until either it’s expiry date or 30 June 2011, whichever date occurs first.
- Local government employees have until 30 June 2011 to obtain a blue card.
Please visit the Commission’s website at
www.bluecard.qld.gov.au and read the fact sheets that outline each of the specific changes in further detail. You can also access updates, flow charts and new application forms online. If you would like to speak with a Commission officer, call the blue card contact centre on
07 3211 6999 or
1800 113 611 (free call).
Last updated: Monday July 5, 2010 9:45AM
Author: Graham Lee
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