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Berry Street Website explains how to hear young peoples voices that have been affected by family violence.

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The voices of children and young people impacted by family violence are often unheard. It's important to recognise children and young people not just as extensions of their parents or caregivers, or 'secondary victims' of family violence, but as victim survivors in their own right.

New Resource: Learning from lived experience

This new guide for family violence practitioners explores key considerations for supporting children and young people with lived experiences of family violence.

The sector-leading resource covers 10 topics, such as ' Create a safe and inclusive space'. For each topic, practical activities are suggested that practitioners can facilitate with children and young people accessing their services.

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aboriginal and torres strait islander people should hold in mind that this website may contain photographs

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printed materials or names of peoples that have passed over into the dreamtime.

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Y-Change partners with Safe and Equal to support young victim...

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Berry Street's Y-Change team and Safe and Equal recently co-produced a resource guide to help practitioners better support children and young people who are experiencing family violence.

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United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child

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United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child

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This document explains how all adults and governments should work together to make sure all children get all their rights

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The Inclusion Support Program (ISP) assists education and care services to include children with additional needs alongside their peers.

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The Inclusion Support Program (ISP) assists education and care services to provide and embed quality inclusive practices into their delivery of early learning programs for all children, to address access and participation barriers and to support the inclusion of children with additional needs, with their typically developing peers.

Seven Inclusion Agencies across eight states and territories are available to work with services to provide a quality inclusive environment for children with additional needs. Inclusion Agencies have an established network of Inclusion Professionals to provide practical and tailored advice and support to services on effective inclusive practice, including techniques for improvement and solutions to address particular barriers.

Read more about the Inclusion Support Program.

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The Inclusion Support Program (ISP) assists education and care services to provide and embed quality inclusive practices into their delivery of early learning programs for all children, to address access...

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This book shows children that no matter their race, families, clothes, religion or abiilities everyone is welcome.

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This book is featured in our Refugees and Displaced People page, a collection of the best books to understand the courage and plight of forced migration, including books for children of stories and issues

Please visit to see more.
Product Description
No matter how you start your day, What you wear when you play, Or if you come from far away, All are welcome here.

Follow a group of children through a day in their school, where everyone is welcome. A school where children in patkas, hijabs, baseball caps and yarmulkes play side by side. A school where students grow and learn from each other's traditions. A school where diversity is a strength.

Warm and inspiring, All Are Welcome lets young children know that no matter what, they have a place, they have a space, and they are welcome in their school. Engaging lyrical text and bright, accessible illustrations make this book a must for every child's bookshelf, classroom and library.

About the Authors

Alexandra Penfold has authored several children's books in the US including Eat, Sleep, Poop (Knopf), We Are Brothers, We Are Friends (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) and Science Experiments You Can Eat (Workman). She is also a literary agent, and one of her clients is Suzanne Kaufman.

Suzanne Kaufman lives in Seattle with her husband Jonathan and two daughters. She has had a keen interest in children's books, animation and cartoons since she was a child herself. Over the years she has been an animator in special effects for Universal and Discovery, and an award-winning animator of video games. She has also illustrated several books for children including Naughty Claudine (Random House) and 100 Bugs (Farrar, Strous & Giroux). Suzanne is currently a senior lecturer for film and video game animation.

Industry Reviews

A celebration as much as it is a story! * Bookbairn *
The book's message makes it applicable to any child and the icing on the cake is the colourful illustration filled with speech bubbles that display 'Welcome' in many languages. Parents will love the educational element and the caring message, and I'm sure children will love trying to read new languages and repeat the phrase; ALL ARE WELCOME * Armadillo Magazine *

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Booktopia has All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold. Buy a discounted Paperback of All Are Welcome online from Australia's leading online bookstore.

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Early Abilities Based Learning and Education Support (Early ABLES)

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Early Abilities Based Learning and Education Support (Early ABLES)

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This website provides information for tailored learning for children with additional needs.

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Early ABLES supports early childhood educators to provide a more individualised learning experience for children aged two to five years with disabilities and/or developmental delay.

The Early ABLES suite has been expanded to include three new assessments for use from 2021, which will support educators to:

observe and assess a child's progress in learning

develop appropriate learning goals in collaboration with parents/carers and other professionals

develop an individualised learning plan with evidence-informed teaching and learning strategies

monitor progress along with a likely progression of learning

support the development of an individual child's learning program using the Early Years Planning Cycle

improve the transition from early childhood to school through information sharing.

There are now eight Early ABLES assessments that align with the five Learning and Development Outcomes of the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (PDF, 1MB) (VEYLDF).

The eight Early ABLES assessments are:

Identity and Community - Social

Wellbeing - Emotion

Learning Dispositions

Communication - Interactions

Communication - Symbols and Text

Learning and Communication - Numeracy

Wellbeing - Movement

Identity and Learning - Thinking Skills

Access to Early ABLES

To access Early ABLES visit Early ABLES.

Change of access to Early ABLES in 2022

Early ABLES has moved to a new IT platform called Ruby. The current Early ABLES platform is no longer available. All historic data has been migrated over to the new Ruby platform.

Current users of Early ABLES have received information about the Early ABLES migration from the earlyables@education.vic.gov.au email address. New users of Early ABLES in 2022 will have access to the new platform.

The way early childhood services access Early ABLES from 2022 will be different. Services will have received a login email in January 2022 from the University of Melbourne and will be asked to add the educators using Early ABLES at their service. This will provide educators with access to commence using Early ABLES in February 2022.

The new platform has been designed by the University of Melbourne to create a more robust and intuitive experience of assessment for its users and improve data security.

Professional learning

Free online professional learning is available for early childhood educators using Early ABLES with children in their early childhood service.

It contributes up to five hours to the Victorian Institute of Teaching's annual professional learning requirement of 20 hours. The five hours includes time to:

complete the online professional learning

reflect on the learning

plan for implementation into practice.

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Early Abilities Based Learning and Education Support (Early ABLES)

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An online tool that helps early childhood educators provide tailored learning for children with additional needs.

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Social Media Account-complexneeds_and_ieps. Kyle Landry, MED

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Social Media Account-complexneeds_and_ieps. Kyle Landry, MED

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This account talks about how to make education inclusive for children with additional needs and complex illness'.

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This account contains practical and accessible tools and resources to make the world fit for children of all abilities.

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I believe inclusive practice in early childhood education promotes equal opportunities for all children, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds. Every child deserves to be included, valued and empowered and has the right to education.

I believe recognising privilege is crucial in fostering inclusivity. Acknowledging and addressing the advantages some children may have, is essential in creating a fair and equal learning environment. By promoting awareness of privilege, I aim to encourage empathy, understanding and respect among all children. This helps to break down barriers and ensure that every child feels valued and included. (Peter D. (2017)

I endeavour to provide inclusive practices that embrace children with disabilities, recognising their unique strengths and abilities. I believe in providing tailored support and accommodations to meet the individual needs of every child. By creating an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity, I can foster a sense of belonging, promote positive self esteem and enable children with disabilities to thrive alongside their peers.

To enable all children to have a voice that allows them to feel heard and valued I will involve them in decision making processes, encouraging them to express their thoughts, opinion and ideas. By providing opportunities for active participation, such as class discussions and group activities, I will empower children to become confident and independent learners. This not only enhances their educational experience but also promotes a sense of ownership and inclusion with the classroom. (Every Child (2017).

I also want to celebrate multiculturalism and recognise the diverse backgrounds of children. This involves fostering respect, acceptance and a sense of belonging by incorporating different cultures into the environment. Collaborating with families is also emphasised to understand and respect cultural values and and creates meaningful connections. This will allow children to appreciate diversity and navigate a multicultural world with empathy and inclusivity.

To make practices inclusive, I strive to create a positive and welcoming environment where every child feels safe, supported and valued. I encourage collaboration and cooperation among children, fostering a sense of community and respect. I promote open communication with parents and guardians, ensuring their perspectives and insights are considered and embedded into my practice. By embracing diversity and celebrating individual strengths, I aim to create a learning environment that nurtures the holistic development of every child.

Inclusive practice in early childhood promotes equality, celebrates diversity and empowers all children. By recognising privilege, embracing disabilities and giving children a voice, we can create an inclusive environment where every child thrives. Through this approach we can inspire a future of compassionate, understanding and inclusive individuals who with shape the world for all. (Giugni (2014).

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Can you tell me about your child and their interests and strengths?

As an educator in early childhood education. Understanding children's interests and strengths is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, by knowing the children’s interests we can create a learning environment that is engaging and motivating for them. When children are interested in a particular topic or activity, they are more likely to be actively involved, enthusiastic and eager to learn. By incorporating their interests into the curriculum, we make learning enjoyable and meaningful.

Identifying their strengths allows us to tailor out teaching methods to meet their individual needs. Every child has unique abilities and talents, by recognising and nurturing these strengths, we can provide them with opportunities to excel and develop their full potential.

As an educator in early childhood, knowing children's interests and strengths is essential for creating and engaging learning environment, building positive relationships and accommodating different learning styles.

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What are your expectations of early education, do you have any goals for your child?

Talking to families regarding their expectations and goals for their children is a crucial step in creating a collaborative and effective learning environment. By understanding the hopes and aspirations of families, educators can tailor teaching approaches to meet children's unique needs.

During discussions with families, educators can gather insights into various aspects of the children's development. Asking for expectations helps educators also set realistic and achievable goals for the children's learning. This allows educators to create more individualised learning plans for each child, promoting their overall development.

By setting these goals with families allows educators to involve parents in the learning process. When families are aware of what is happening in the classroom and how they can support their children at home, they become more active in their child’s education.

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Do you have anything from your culture or background that you could share with the children? Eg. Traditional clothing, music, languages or recipes.

Parent involvement plays a crucial role in early childhood education, enriching the learning journey for children. To foster a diverse environment, it is essential to encourage community engagement by inviting families to share their cultures.

Through these experiences parents from different backgrounds or cultures bring a diverse perspective into the classroom. By sharing customs, traditions and languages they can help create a rich and inclusive environment where children learn to appreciate and respect different cultures. This exposure promotes empathy, understanding of the world around them and a sense of community.

Sharing these traditions strengthens their sense of belonging. Children see their families valued and celebrated. By embracing and encouraging parent involvement educators can create an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and builds strong connections between families and educators, leading to collaborative learning journeys for the children.  (Good Run Solutions (2010).

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Is there something that we can change in our classroom to help you learn better?

To enhance a children’s learning environment, it is vital to incorporate the child’s voice into the process. Encouraging children to actively participate and express their thoughts, ideas and preferences can significantly improve their educational experience. By involving children in decision making such as classroom activities or designing the layout of the room they gain a sense of ownership and become more engaged in the learning process. This fosters a sense empowerment and belonging, boosting their confidence and motivation to learn and helps to tailor to meet each child’s needs.

This also fosters teamwork and cooperation with peers but encourages responsibility for their own learning and to contribute to the learning of others.

By giving the children a sense of agency, not only does it improve children's engagement and motivation but also nurtures their individual strengths and talents, laying a solid foundation for learning and success.

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What helps you to feel safe at Kinder?

It is crucial for children to feel safe in their early childhood environment. When children feel safe, they can relax, explore and fully engage in their learning environment. Unfortunately, that is not the case for some children. They have heightened state of alertness that have come from traumatic experiences or challenges at home.

This is why creating a safe environment is so detrimental to children's development. Children need to know they are valued, loved and supported unconditionally. Building strong and nurturing relationships with educators helps foster a sense of emotional support. They know what makes them feel safe, so by having their input we can tailor the environment to their needs.

Creating this safe environment allows children to take risks in a safe environment which develops their cognitive, emotional, physical and social skills without fear or judgement or harm. (King. (2015)

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What are you most passionate about in early childhood?

When we engage in discussions with colleges, we are open diverse perspectives and invaluable knowledge and experience. Each individual brings their unique perspective, experience and expertise to enhance the quality of education. This continuous collaboration ensures colleges are felt heard and know that their opinion and passions matter. This positive work environment contributes to higher levels of motivation and engagement. Sharing knowledge and passions also promotes professional growth and development amongst educators. When colleges share areas, they are passionate about through active listening and respectful engagment,  it sparks inspiration in themselves and in others.

This creates a culture of inclusivity and respect, where everyone’s voice is heard and valued. Through collaboration, problem solving, professional growth and sharing passions we can enhance how we educate the children and ensures that every child receives the best possible start in life and benefits the quality of education. (Good Run Solutions (2010).

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How can we enhance our inclusive practices?

Inclusive practices in early childhood means equal opportunities for all children regardless of background, abilities and learning styles, they all deserve access to quality education and opportunities for growth and development. It promotes fairness and prevents any form of discrimination. When we have an inclusive environment children feel valued, respected, included and develop a strong sense of self worth and confidence.

By allowing every child to participate by adapting the curriculum their success and love for learning is enhanced. When others are exposed to diverse perspectives and experiences, they develop a broader understanding of the world and learn to appreciate differences. This promotes acceptance, respect, empathy and understanding at a young age.

Enhancing an inclusive environment not only benefits the individual child but also contributes to creating a more inclusive, equitable and accepting society for the future. (King. (2015).