Strengthening protection and risk management in early education and care
In my first update of 2024, I’m pleased to announce the release of 3 new eLearning modules for the early childhood education and care sector focusing on reducing and managing risk to children.
This is part of a set of courses developed by my Child Safe Organisations team in collaboration with the NSW Department of Education:
- Centre-based services (including long day care, preschools, occasional care, mobile preschools and Multifunctional Aboriginal Children's Services)
- Outside school hours care, including vacation care
- Family day care.
All of us working in the interests of children and young people should be looking for ways to make our systems work together – to strengthen and complement each other.
Early childhood education and care in NSW must comply with the Child Safe Standards, the National Quality Framework for early learning, and the requirements of the NSW Department of Education.
Our new eLearning for the sector shows early childhood educators and service leaders how these compliance standards can be met in the practical settings where young children learn and play.
Along with module 1. A Child Safe Service and the just-released module 2. Risk Management in a Child Safe Service, we’ll be publishing another 4 modules in coming months covering reporting requirements and the special responsibilities of leadership in early education and care services.
It has been a pleasure to have my team work with the Department of Education and early education professionals to better understand how our eLearning could help them most to support the safety and wellbeing of the children in their care.
In particular, my thanks go to our colleagues in the NSW Early Childhood Education Directorate, and to our eLearning team here at the Office of the Children’s Guardian.
Steve Kinmond
Children's Guardian
