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Commission for Children and Young People Victoria

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Video of Victoria’s 11 Child Safe Standards 

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Video of Victoria’s 11 Child Safe Standards 

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Commission for Children and Young People Victoria

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An Overview of Victoria's Child Safe Standards

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Child safe standards poster to display in your service.

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Child safe standards poster to display in your service.

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Colouring in sheet - child-safety standards 

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Colouring in sheet - child-safety standards 

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Tipsheet - Teach your child to keep safe

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Tipsheet - Teach your child to keep safe

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For every child, every right.

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What is the Convention on the Rights of the Child?

In 1989 something incredible happened. Against the backdrop of a changing world order world leaders came together and made a historic commitment to the world's children. They made a promise to every child to protect and fulfil their rights, by adopting an international legal framework - the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Contained in this treaty is a profound idea: that children are not just objects who belong to their parents and for whom decisions are made, or adults in training. Rather, they are human beings and individuals with their own rights. The Convention says childhood is separate from adulthood, and lasts until 18; it is a special, protected time, in which children must be allowed to grow, learn, play, develop and flourish with dignity. The Convention went on to become the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history and has helped transform children's lives.

What has the Convention achieved?

The Convention is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. It has inspired governments to change laws and policies and make investments so that more children finally get the health care and nutrition they need to survive and develop, and there are stronger safeguards in place to protect children from violence and exploitation. It has also enabled more children to have their voices heard and participate in their societies.

Childhood today: new threats, new opportunities

Despite this progress, the Convention is still not fully implemented or widely known and understood. Millions of children continue to suffer violations of their rights when they are denied adequate health care, nutrition, education and protection from violence. Childhoods continue to be cut short when children are forced to leave school, do hazardous work, get married, fight in wars or are locked up in adult prisons.

And global changes, like the rise of digital technology, environmental change, prolonged conflict and mass migration are completely changing childhood. Today's children face new threats to their rights, but they also have new opportunities to realize their rights.

What needs to happen

The hope, vision and commitment of world leaders in 1989 led to the Convention. It is up to today's generation to demand that world leaders from government, business and communities end child rights violations now, once and for all. They must commit to action to make sure every child, has every right.

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Find out about the world's most widely ratified human rights treaty in history

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Adoptive families

Listed below are links to the government agencies or departments responsible for adoption in each state and territory in Australia. You can find information for birth parents, adoptive parents and people affected by past adoptions:

Australian Government - Intercountry adoption
This Australian Government website has information, links and resources relating to intercountry adoption.

Intercountry Adoption Family Support Service
This is a free national service that provides counselling, information and support to families formed by intercountry adoption as well as to couples and individuals engaged in the intercountry adoption process.

When you adopt a child, you give that child a permanent home and family, along with a sense of belonging, security and identity. You can read more about raising adopted children.

Family support

Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria
The Domestic Violence Resource Centre (Victoria) is a statewide service in Melbourne that offers a telephone support and referral service. The website has resources, information and advice on family violence and sexual abuse, as well as a directory of Australia-wide services.

Family Relationships Online
On this Australian Government website you can find information about family relationships and links to support services. You can also visit a Family Relationship Centre, or call the Family Relationship Advice Line:

Phone: 1800 050 321

Hours: 8 am-8 pm, Monday-Friday, 10 am-4 pm Saturday

PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia)
PANDA provides confidential information, support and referral to anyone affected by perinatal anxiety and depression, including partners and extended family members.

Red Nose
This organisation works to prevent infant deaths through research and public education. The website has evidence-based information on topics like safe sleeping, as well as links to bereavement support services.

Relationships Australia
Relationships Australia offers counselling, education programs, mediation services and other help for families and couples. This is the national website with links to the website for each Australian state and territory.

Fathers

MensLine
This is a national support service for men with family and relationship concerns. Online counselling is available on the website, and there's also a 24-hour telephone counselling line - phone 1300 789 978.

Relationships Australia
Relationships Australia offers counselling, education programs, mediation services and other help for families and couples. This is the national website with links to the website for each state and territory.

Dad and Partner Pay gives new dads or partners, including same-sex partners, up to two weeks of government-funded pay to be taken in the first year following birth or adoption.

Foster carers

Listed below are links to the government agencies or departments responsible for foster care in each state and territory in Australia:

Create Foundation
This organisation represents children and young people in out-of-home care. The website has information on programs, activities and events run by Create throughout Australia.

Pyjama Foundation
The Pyjama Foundation works to improve opportunities for children in foster care. It runs the Love of Learning Program in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria to help children in care with literacy and life skills.

Foster care is a type of out-of-home care for children who can't live with their own families. Foster carers are specially trained carers who take children into their own homes. You can read more about raising foster children.

Grandparents

Australian Government Department of Human Services - Support for non-parent carers
This section of the Department of Human Services website has information about support for grandparents and carers who raise and care for children.

Family Relationships Online - For grandparents
On this webpage you can find links to services and resources to support you in your role as a carer.

Mirabel Foundation
The Mirabel Foundation helps children who are orphaned or abandoned because of parental illicit drug use and who are now in the care of extended family. Mirabel runs kinship carer support groups in New South Wales and Victoria.

Parenting support

Here are some government websites with information about parenting support in different states and territories:

Australian Capital Territory: Parentlink ACT provides parenting information, guidance and support.

New South Wales: Resourcing Parents has information on services and support for families throughout New South Wales, including online webinars and courses. NSW Department of Family and Community Services - Parenting has practical tips, information and resources for parents and carers.

South Australia: Parenting SA provides support, services, information and resources for parents and carers.

Victoria: Better Health Channel - Parents has quality-assured and easy-to-understand information on a range of issues, for parents of babies through to teenagers.

Western Australia: Ngala helps parents, grandparents and carers develop skills and cope with the challenges of parenting.

Austprem
Austprem provides information and support for parents and carers of prematurely born babies and children. The website has a discussion forum where parents can share experiences.

Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE)
This non-profit organisation works to improve the emotional wellbeing of parents. The website has evidence-based articles about emotional wellbeing in pregnancy and early parenthood for parents, family members and friends.

Family Relationships Online
This Australian Government website has information and advice about family relationships. There's a telephone support line and links to Family Relationship Centres in each state and territory.

Healthdirect Australia
Healthdirect provides health information and advice online and over the phone. The website provides links to health resources from trusted Australian organisations. Or phone 1800 022 222 and speak to a registered nurse, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

PBS Parents
This website has information and advice for parents about child development from birth through to the early school years.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby
This is a free, national, 24-hour helpline offering information, advice and counselling about all aspects of pregnancy, birth and your baby's first year - phone 1800 882 436.

Reach Out - Parents Coaching
Reach Out offers free online coaching to parents and carers of teenagers. If you're worried about your relationship with your teenage child, or worried about your child's wellbeing or behaviour, coaching can give you strategies to help.

You can get information, advice and counselling by calling the parent helpline in your state or territory.

Same-sex parents

Gay Dads Australia
This website has information and resources for gay men who are fathers or who want to have children.

National LGBTI Health Alliance
This is a national organisation promoting the health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people.

NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby
This organisation promotes the rights of lesbians and gay men in NSW. The website has information and updates on laws affecting same-sex parents.

QLife
This is a national counselling and referral service for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and/or intersex (LGBTI).

Rainbow Families (New South Wales)
Rainbow Families advocates for same-sex and LGBTI parented families. It runs community programs and social events throughout New South Wales.

Switchboard Victoria
Switchboard is a telephone counselling, information and referral service for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people in Victoria and Tasmania. Visit the website for phone numbers and hours of availability.

Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby
This website has information about the law in Victoria relating to same-sex parents and their children.

Single parents

Australian Government Department of Human Services - Parent's guide to child support
This section of the Department of Human Services website has information about child support payments and support services for separated families.

Australian Government Department of Human Services - What to do following a death
This section of the Department of Human Services website explains what to do if someone in your family has died. It has information on financial assistance, counselling and other supports to help you.

National Council of Single Mothers and their Children
This organisation aims to empower single mothers - particularly those living in hardship - by giving them access to information and support.

Single Parents Active Kids (Melbourne)
This is a social group that organises events for single parents and their children in Melbourne. Its focus is outdoor activities where children can have fun and be active in a welcoming and positive environment.

Step-parents

Family Relationships Online
This Australian Government website has information and advice about family relationships. There is a telephone support line and links to Family Relationship Centres in each state and territory.

Relationships Australia
Relationships Australia offers counselling, education programs, mediation services and other help for families and couples. This is the national website with links to the website for each state and territory.

Stepfamilies Australia
This organisation operates Australia wide offering family support services and information to stepfamilies. The website has links to branches in each state and territory.

Teenage parents

Core of Life
Core of Life provides education about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and early parenting for adolescents.

Pregnancy Birth and Baby - Teenage pregnancy
This webpage discusses the options for young people who are pregnant.

Twins and multiples

Australian Multiple Birth Association
This organisation provides support, resources and education to multiple birth parents.

Twins Research Australia
This organisation facilitates research involving twins and their families. The website has information and resources about twins.

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Listed below are links to the government agencies or departments responsible for adoption in each state and territory in Australia. You can find information for birth parents, adoptive parents and people affected by past adoptions: Australian Government - Intercountry adoption This Australian Government website has information, links and resources relating to intercountry adoption.

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Actions services must take to comply with Standard 2

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Actions services must take to comply with Standard 2

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Overview

Standard 2 focuses on embedding risk management in service leadership, governance and culture.

A culture of child safety must be driven by service leaders and supported by effective systems and processes. It requires services to:

make a public commitment to child safety

actively monitor, review and evaluate child abuse risks

reduce the risk of harm and abuse to children

embed a child safety culture at all levels of the service, led by leaders' behaviour

create an open environment where identifying and reporting harm is encouraged

respond appropriately to allegations or suspicions of harm or disclosures.

The 2016 Standards already required services to comply with many aspects of this standard. However, the new standard emphasises information sharing, record keeping and governance arrangements to create a child safe culture at all levels.

Reasons for the changes

The and the examined systemic failures to protect children. Many failures were the result of poor leadership, governance and culture, including:

leaders who failed to act or were complicit in covering up child safety complaints

governance structures that did not have adequate oversight or review mechanisms

cultures that put adult offenders or organisational reputation above children's safety.

Services approved under the National Quality Framework (NQF):

long day care

family day care

kindergartens (preschool)

Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)

school holiday programs that operate for 28 days or more per year.

Services approved under the Children's Services Act (CS Act):

limited hours

occasional care

school holiday programs that operate for less than 28 days per year

early childhood intervention services

former Budget Based Funded services

mobile services.

Actions services must take to comply with Standard 2

Standard 2: Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in leadership, governance and culture.

Early childhood services must comply with all the following elements of this standard:

The service makes a public commitment to child safety (2.1).

A child safe culture is championed and modelled at all levels of the service from the top down and bottom up (2.2).

Governance arrangements facilitate implementation of the child safety and wellbeing policy at all levels (2.3).

Code of Conduct provides guidelines for staff and volunteers on expected behavioural standards and responsibilities (2.4).

Risk management strategies focus on preventing, identifying and mitigating risks to children and young people (2.5).

Staff and volunteers understand their obligations on information sharing and record keeping (2.6).

How to comply - examples and ideas

Start by reviewing your existing policies and procedures. Then compare them with the Standard 2 requirements.

Make a public commitment to child safety

display your commitment prominently on your website, in the principal's reception, and service premises

include it in newsletters, recruitment and enrolment packages

make it an agenda item for discussion at every staff meeting

reference it in relevant policies, your service philosophy or child safety policies

include it in training and inductions.

Communicate and demonstrate that:

racism is not tolerated in any way

complaints and concerns are taken seriously and acted upon

Create accessible versions of child safety and anti-racism information, including translations and visual versions for children such as posters or flowcharts.

Make sure all service leaders publicly champion and model child safety, and that child safety is reflected at all levels of the service.

Conduct a risk assessment of abuse and harm to children that considers the service setting, activities, personnel, and physical and online environments. Review this regularly, especially if there are changes to legislation, policy or the physical environment at the service.

Develop a risk management strategy focused on preventing, identifying and mitigating risks of abuse and harm to children

Actively monitor, review and evaluate child abuse risks

Use this information to inform your policies and procedures.

Make sure your Code of Conduct outlines acceptable and unacceptable behaviour for everyone at the service, including all adults and children, and the consequences for breaching it.

Make sure all new and existing staff and volunteers are aware of the Code of Conduct and what it contains.

Review and update the Code of Conduct following any incidents, complaints, concerns or near misses.

Make the Code of Conduct publicly available.

Require leaders, staff and volunteers to disclose any potential conflicts of interest and manage relationships and situations to reduce risks arising from conflict of interest.

Make sure your philosophy, policies, procedures and practices all prioritise protecting children from harm and abuse.

Governance systems should support leaders in monitoring whether risk assessment and management is working properly.

Promote regular open discussion on child safety issues at:

staff meetings

leadership team meetings

supervision meetings and annual reviews

at parent information meetings

informally, during conversations between educators and parents at pick up/drop off.

Support children, families, staff and volunteers to safely disclose any child safety concerns or complaints. Report back to complainants about the actions taken as a result of their complaint.

Provide regular refresher training to all staff and volunteers on their reporting obligations. This should include:

A good record keeping system is central to transparency, accountability, and the overall integrity of your service.

Make sure everyone at the service:

Clearly understands what (both internally and externally) while maintaining confidentiality and privacy. Sharing relevant information about risks to children within your service and externally can be critical to managing child safety.

Attends an online session or completes an e-module on the child information sharing and family violence reforms. Alternatively, invite a speaker to present to a staff meeting.

Understands their record keeping obligations, including:

what records they must keep about incidents, concerns or complaints of abuse or harm to a child

that the records must be made as soon as possible to the time of the incidents, and as accurate as possible

how the records must be kept (either electronically or in hard copy)

where these records are stored at the service

why record keeping is important (so complaints or abuse allegations can be investigated properly).

Consult with staff, volunteers and families during all reviews.

Get input from experts and others to improve your systems.

Ask students what matters to them, what makes them feel safe and whether the service's child safety strategies are meeting their needs. Use focus groups or other methods.

Both the National Quality Framework and the CS Act have extensive requirements to protect children's safety, health and wellbeing and ensure services meet their developmental needs. These include:

requirements to adequately supervise children

take every precaution to protect children from harm

prohibiting corporal punishment or unreasonable discipline.

Quality Area 7 of the National Quality Standard (NQS) also focuses on governance to support the operation of a quality service.

Under both schemes, services must keep records in a safe and secure place for prescribed period of time. Records specifically relating to an incident, injury or trauma suffered by a child at a service must be stored in a safe and secure place until the child is aged 25 years. Other records must be kept for other periods.

Find out how Standard 2 aligns with existing regulatory requirements, the NQS and the VEYLDF at .

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Early childhood services - child safety and wellbeing | Victorian Government

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Standard 2 focuses on embedding risk management in service leadership, governance and culture. A culture of child safety must be driven by service leaders and supported by effective systems and processes.

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Victorias child safe standards plain language guide

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Victorias child safe standards plain language guide

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Children of the World- Posters and colouring sheets

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Children of the World- Posters and colouring sheets

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We have rights and responsibilities.