Keeping Children Safe

It's been almost a week.

Almost a week since the horrific news that someone in our sector had been charged with crimes related to the sexual assault and exploitation of children.

Almost a week since that sickened feeling, that anger, that distress settled upon me.

As someone who writes to process their thoughts, it may seem surprising that it has taken me almost a week to open up a blank page and start writing. In that time, I've had countless conversations with early childhood professionals, my family members, friends, and even an authorised officer from the regulatory authority. I've read articles. I've consumed social media posts. I've tried with all that I have to understand how we got here, how something like this could happen in the sector that I have given so much to, and that has given so much to me over the last 23 years. 

In 2023, our company (as an approved provider for Inspired Family Day Care in three states) decided to implement a National Child Safety Implementation Team. In the last two years we have met monthly to discuss child safety. We've reviewed the Child Safe Standards, we've discussed legislation, we've unpacked our policies, and we've considered how proposed changes to processes and regulations may impact our team and how best to implement these in family day care. We've read Asserting a Culture of Child Safety by Nicole Talarico - using it to guide our meetings and reflection each month. We've had hard conversations - this is heavy content. 

But this news almost a week ago - this is as heavy as it gets, and part of me just doesn't know what to do with that. There's a part of me that wants to rage and cry and say, "This is an awful human being and a one-off". But the rest of me knows that it isn't true. There have been other people previously who have wormed their way into our sector and destroyed the lives of children. And I know that raging and crying won't help to prevent this from happening to any other children; what we need is action. 

On Saturday I heard the news that an education and care provider had moved to "ban" all male educators from nappy change and toileting routines, and while I understand this decision has been made from a place of fear and wanting to be seen to be taking action, I don't know that this is the action to take. I worry that our sector will lose the incredible male educators that it has, that they will be driven out. I've had the fortune of working with some amazing male educators who have made a monumental difference in the lives of the children they cared for, and imagining them being lost to the sector is a hard pill to swallow. 

I wish I had the answers. I wish I knew exactly what action needs to be taken on a broader scale to ensure children's safety. 

One thing I do know is that we need to keep having these hard conversations about children's safety. I know that for many, this is challenging. It is challenging to hear the details of some of these offences. It is challenging to know that there are people in the world who want to harm children. It is challenging to feel that, as a sector, as early childhood professionals, we are under scrutiny - that people in the wider community and the media are losing faith in our ability to keep children safe. 

What can you do? 

• Keep having conversations about child safety. Everything we do should be underpinned by the question "How does this keep children safe?" 
• Stay up to date with expert information and guidance within the sector
• Know and understand your service policies and procedures around child safety
• Know and understand the reportable conduct scheme in your state.
• Know and understand the working with children check processes, requirements etc in your state
• Be vigilant in your supervision of children in your care
• Seek support if you are finding it difficult

Resources that can help

• Asserting a Culture of Child Safety
• Effective Supervision in Action