Lindsay Smith

Lindsay Smith is an independent researcher specialising in early childhood education and care (ECEC) systems governance, workforce reform, and the integration of health, safety, and operational policy into daily practice. Her work focuses on identifying structural gaps in Australia’s ECEC operational environment—particularly in infection‑control cleaning—and developing evidence‑aligned mechanisms that strengthen workforce sustainability, service reliability, and alignment with the National Quality Framework.

She is the author of the Childcare Cleaning Standard (CCS) research series, including the Proposal for a National Childcare Cleaning Standard (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18095837), the CCS Architecture Overview (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18276805), the CCS National Policy Framework (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18356128), and Governance and the ECEC Sector: How a National Childcare Cleaning Standard Can Improve Operational Stability and Workforce Sustainability (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18848113). Together, these works establish the conceptual, governance, and workforce foundations for AS/CCS 45001:2026, Australia’s first childcare‑specific cleaning standard.

Lindsay’s research integrates WHS legislation, infection‑prevention science, environmental hygiene, and implementation‑science principles to design operational frameworks that enhance safety, quality, and workforce wellbeing. Her lived experience as a commercial cleaner informs her systems‑level approach, ensuring that policy and governance solutions remain grounded in real‑world operational conditions.

Based in Australia, she contributes to ECEC policy innovation, system design, and research translation, with a focus on strengthening the sector’s capacity to meet regulatory and community expectations through stable, safe, and sustainable operational models.