Former Supreme Court justice Margaret Nyland will head a royal commission into South Australia's child protection system.
Premier Jay Weatherill announced the terms of reference for the royal commission on Friday.
It comes after a Families SA care worker was charged with unlawful sexual intercourse with seven preschool children under his care at a residential facility.
Ms Nyland will report to government within 12 months on the adequacy of the state's child protection laws and the operations of Families SA.
Attorney General John Rau said Ms Nyland had been directed to raise issues with government agencies as she finds them.
"The work of the commission will not be something we have to just wait around for a year to see," he told reporters.
"It will begin working as soon as it starts finding things that need to be done, those messages will be communicated and actions begun."
The commission will examine all SA government and non-government organisations which care for children at risk.
It will also address the staffing and resourcing of the state's child protection system.
Ms Nyland has been asked to recommend changes to the procedures of Families SA and other agencies to provide for "the best practical and financially achievable" child protection outcomes.
However she is required to avoid prejudicing pending criminal investigations, including the case of the Families SA worker who is currently before the courts.
Mr Rau said the commission would be able to begin its work immediately but that it would be up to Ms Nyland to decide whether public hearings were to be held.
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