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Child safety is everyone's responsibility.
Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services operating under the National Quality Framework provide safe, welcoming places for children to learn, grow and thrive.
Everyone working in ECEC has a responsibility to keep children safe from harm.
All staff directly working with children are mandatory reporters. If you witness or suspect inappropriate interactions at your service, you need to report this.
Approved providers have a responsibility to notify the Regulatory Authority whenever children's health, safety and wellbeing is at risk.
In Queensland, the Regulatory Authority and the sector have come together to release a Statement of Shared Commitment, to ensure positive experiences and interactions for all children attending Queensland early childhood education and care services.
Through positive interactions, children learn essential social and emotional development skills. It's these early interactions that shape children's perception of the world and their own self-image. Regular, positive interactions contribute to higher self-esteem and confidence in children. This, in turn, increases children's resilience and makes them more willing to challenge themselves.
Every interaction counts
Follow the links below to promote the Statement of Shared Commitment in your service, access resources to support you in your role, and register for free professional development workshops.
Access
Statement of Shared Commitment posters, which are customisable to add your service name and branding, and other supporting resources to share with your community.
Access free
protective behaviours and positive behaviour guidance training for educators.
Explore a range of
supporting links and resources.
How you can embed your commitment in your service
The Statement of Shared Commitment can help you demonstrate your commitment to being a Child Safe Organisation. Here's some suggestions:
Posters
- Download both A3 posters to add your service logo and name.
- Print the A3 posters and display widely.
- Display poster 1 in foyers for families to view, and include in enrolment materials.
- Include poster 2 in recruitment packs and induction materials, so that expectations are clear from day one.
- Incorporate into staff training materials.
- Display in staff rooms for educators as a reminder of their roles and responsibilities, as well as the responsibilities of providers and service leaders and the Regulatory Authority.
- Use as a starting point for staff meeting discussions and one-on-ones with staff.
Social media and promotional resources
Download the amplification kit for valuable resources to embed in your communications:
Social media tiles
Free training and workshops
Free workshops are available to support educators in all regulated early childhood services in Queensland.
Protective behaviours training
National Association for Prevention of Child abuse and Neglect's (NAPCAN) protective behaviours program has been developed to assist educators to help children to identify situations that are unsafe or potentially unsafe and develop practical strategies to counter these situations, preserving their physical and emotional safety.
Key themes are:
- We all have the right to feel safe, all the time.
- Nothing is so awful that we can't talk to someone about it.
Using their Safer Communities for Children (SCFC) protective behaviours approach, the program will help participants to notice, recognise, respond and report inappropriate behaviour by adults towards children, and equip them with a suite of tools and resources to respond to children in meaningful and supportive ways.
Registration
Register for your free
Protective behaviours training or contact NAPCAN via email at
qldscfc@napcan.org.au or phone (02) 8073 3300 for more information.
Positive behaviour guidance training
Autism Queensland's (AQ) positive behaviour guidance program is designed to support early childhood teachers and educators to provide education and care to children in a way that:
- encourages children to express themselves and their opinions
- allows children to undertake experiences that develop self-reliance and self-esteem
- always maintains the dignity and rights of each child
- gives each child positive encouragement towards acceptable behaviour
- has regard for the family and cultural values, age, and physical and intellectual development and abilities of each child
- ensures children have opportunities to interact and develop respectful and positive relationships with each other and with educators, staff and volunteers.
AQ is offering the program through face-to-face and online workshops as well as additional maintenance workshops beyond the initial foundation training.
While AQ is experienced in supporting children with autism and neurodivergence, this training has been designed for wider application to support educators to positively guide behaviour of all children.
Registration
Register for your free
Positive behaviour guidance program workshop or contact AQ for more information via email at
css@autismqld.com.au or phone (07) 3540 8610.
Find out more about these free training opportunities on our
early childhood guidance program pilot page.