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Exemptions from Applying for a Check

An exemption means that you do not need to apply for a Working with Children (WWC) Check, even if you undertake ‘child-related work’. If an exemption applies, a person is not prevented from applying for a WWC Check.

The WWC Check exemptions are:

• people under the age of 18 years
  
  
• parent volunteers whose child ordinarily participates in that activity
  This exemption only applies to volunteer parents who participate in their children’s activities.
  
  For example: Brett is a volunteer coach for a school football team on which his son Joshua ordinarily plays. Brett does not have to apply for and pass the WWC Check to do this even if Joshua does not attend some of the practice sessions or games.
  
  
• people ‘closely related’ to each child they have contact with in their ‘child-related work’
  ‘Closely related’ means you are the child’s: parent, spouse, step-parent, mother-in-law or father-in-law, grandparent, uncle or aunt, brother or sister (including half-siblings and step siblings, brother-in-law or sister-in-law). ‘Closely related’ also includes de facto relationships. ‘Spouse’ includes domestic partners, as defined in the Relationships Act 2008.
  
  For example: Karen does not need a WWC Check in order to home school her daughter and her nephew as she is closely related to both of the children.
  
  
• 18- or 19-year-old student volunteers where the volunteer work is at or has been organised by the student’s educational institution
  For example: Khalil, 18, is a student at Happy Valley Secondary College. He has been asked to lead a peer support group of Year 7 students. As this activity has been organised by his school, he does not need to apply for a WWC Check to do this.
  
  
• visiting workers who do not ordinarily live and perform ‘child-related work’ in Victoria
  For example: Keith lives in New South Wales and coaches a baseball team that is selected to play in a one-off competition to be held in Victoria. Because Keith does not ordinarily live and perform ‘child-related work’ in Victoria and will only be in Victoria for a few days, he does not need to apply for a WWC Check.
  
  
• sworn police officers (who are not suspended from duty)
  Sworn police officers are exempt from needing a WWC Check for any ‘child-related work’ as they are already checked by a similar scheme.
  
  
• teachers who have current registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching
  Teachers with current registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching are exempt from needing a WWC Check for any ‘child-related work’ as they are already checked by a similar scheme.