Child Safety

Child Safety & Wellbeing

Creating a Child Safe Culture

At Willunga Child Care Centre & Preschool, the safety, wellbeing and rights of every child are at the heart of everything we do.

We are committed to providing a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment where children feel valued, respected and protected. Every child has the right to feel safe, to be heard, and to learn and grow in an environment free from harm, abuse, neglect and discrimination.
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Our centres have zero tolerance for child abuse. We actively promote child safe practices in accordance with the National Child Safe Principles, Child Safe Standards, the National Quality Framework, and all relevant child protection legislation.

Young girl coloring a picture with colored pencils at a classroom table with a boy and educational posters in the background.

Creating a Child Safe Culture

Child safety is embedded into our everyday practice through our policies, procedures and the professional conduct of every educator, staff member, volunteer and student.

We are committed to:

Maintaining a culture where child safety is everyone's responsibility.

Protecting children from physical, emotional, psychological and sexual harm, as well as neglect.

Acting immediately on any concerns regarding a child's safety or wellbeing.

Fulfilling all mandatory reporting obligations and responsibilities under the Reportable Conduct Scheme.

Continuously reviewing our practices to strengthen child safety across our service.

Safe Recruitment & Professional Standards

We take great care in ensuring that every adult working within our centres is suitable to work with children.

Our recruitment practices include:

Comprehensive reference and background checks.

Valid Working With Children Checks for all educators, staff, volunteers and students.

Thorough induction into our Child Safe Environment and Child Protection policies.

Ongoing professional learning in child protection, mandatory reporting and maintaining professional boundaries.

Students and volunteers are always supervised and never counted towards educator-to-child ratios.

Smiling boy sitting at a classroom table with pencils and schoolwork in front of him.

Active Supervision

Children are actively supervised throughout the day by qualified educators who provide responsive and attentive care.

Our supervision practices include:

Maintaining required educator-to-child ratios.

Ensuring children remain within sight and/or hearing of educators.

Increased supervision during outdoor play, water play, cooking experiences and excursions.

Regular supervision risk assessments of all indoor and outdoor environments.

Empowering Children

We believe children should know they have the right to feel safe and to speak up.

Our educators encourage children to:

Express their thoughts, feelings and ideas.

Develop confidence and independence.

Understand personal safety in age-appropriate ways.

Seek support from trusted adults whenever they feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

Children's voices are valued and considered when reviewing our practices and learning environments.

Supporting Children's Health & Wellbeing

Children learn best when they feel healthy, secure and supported.

We provide:

Rest & Sleep

Children have access to calm, comfortable rest environments based on their individual needs.

Sun Safety

We promote lifelong sun-safe habits by:

Wearing approved sun-safe hats.
Applying sunscreen.
Encouraging protective clothing.
Providing shaded outdoor learning spaces.

Water Safety

All water-based experiences are carefully planned and actively supervised, with risk assessments completed before activities commence.

Nutrition & Allergy Safety

We provide a safe environment for children with allergies and dietary requirements.
Our centres maintain nut-aware practices and work closely with families to safely manage allergies, medical conditions and individual dietary needs.

Illness & Medical Care

We partner with families to support children's health. When children become unwell:

Families are contacted promptly.
Educators follow recognised health guidelines.
Medication is administered only with written authorisation and according to our Medication Policy.
All medication is stored safely in its original packaging and administered by trained educators.

Emergency Preparedness

We regularly practise emergency procedures so children and educators are prepared to respond safely and calmly.These include:

Evacuation drills.
Lockdown procedures.
Medical emergency responses.

Families are contacted as soon as practicable should an emergency affect their child.

Inclusion & Cultural Safety

Every child deserves to feel welcome, respected and included.We are committed to creating an environment that celebrates diversity and promotes cultural safety for all children

Including:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Children with disability or additional needs.

Children of all identities and family backgrounds.

We believe every child has the right to participate fully in our programs without discrimination.

Working in Partnership with Families

Strong partnerships with families help keep children safe.
We encourage open communication and work collaboratively with families, carers and the wider community to continually strengthen our child safe practices.

Families are encouraged to:

Share any concerns regarding their child's safety or wellbeing.

Participate in policy reviews where appropriate.

Work with educators to support their child's individual needs.

Together, we create an environment where children feel safe, supported and able to thrive every day.

Our Promise

At Willunga Child Care Centre & Preschool, child safety is more than a policy - it is a commitment that guides every decision we make.

Through trusted relationships, qualified educators, active supervision and a culture of care and respect, we strive to provide every child with a safe place to learn, grow and belong.