What does a child-safe culture look like?

It starts with conversations.

The conversation that helps a child understand their rights.
The conversation that helps them identify a trusted adult.
The conversation that reassures them they will be listened to if something doesn't feel right.

Across our services, educators brought this year's National Child Protection Week theme, Every Conversation Matters: Shifting Conversation to Action, to life through activities that empowered children to build confidence, understand their rights and develop the skills to seek help when needed.

Throughout the week, some children participated in our Child Safe Standards Project, exploring topics including personal safety, children's rights, family partnerships, children's voice and online safety. Activities such as My Body, My Rules, children's meetings, family wellbeing projects and online safety discussions helped children build the knowledge and confidence to recognise safe relationships and seek support when needed.

For many services, Child Protection Week also coincided with R U OK? Day, creating additional opportunities to talk about trusted relationships, kindness and seeking help when something doesn't feel right.

Bringing child safety to life

These conversations were brought to life by our Educators, through hands-on activities designed to make child safety relevant, age-appropriate and meaningful.

Children explored who they can turn to when they need help by creating safety networks and identifying trusted adults in their lives. They reflected on what makes them feel safe at home, at school and in their communities, while learning about respectful relationships, personal boundaries and the importance of using their voice.

At St Vincent's OSHC, children participated in discussions about staying safe, role-played different scenarios and collaborated on activities that reinforced the service as a safe and supportive environment. Conversations encouraged children to think about how they can support others and respond when they notice someone may need help.

At North Perth OSHC, children learned about their rights, identified their safe people and joined group discussions that encouraged confidence, connection and self-advocacy.

At Piara Waters OSHC, children participated in activities focused on trusted adults, emotional regulation and wellbeing, helping them develop practical strategies to seek support and manage challenging situations.

Other services created handprint trees displaying children's rights, family wellbeing projects, children's voice activities, feedback displays, storytelling experiences and creative projects that encouraged children to reflect on safety, belonging and inclusion.

"It has been a big week of learning, but we hope we have made a difference for our children and encouraging the years theme of every conversation matters."- OSHC Educator

Building children's confidence through action

While each activity looked different, the goal remained the same: helping children understand that their feelings matter, their voices matter and there are trusted people around them who will listen and support them.

Importantly, many of the activities demonstrated that child safety is not only about responding to concerns when they arise. It is also about creating environments where children feel confident to ask questions, share ideas, express concerns and participate in decisions that affect them.

This focus on participation, agency and trusted relationships helps children develop the confidence to seek support when they need it and know they will be taken seriously.

As one educator shared,

“The children enjoyed learning about their safe people, talking about their rights, joining in group discussions... It was a great opportunity to encourage children to feel safe, supported and confident to speak up"

A commitment that extends beyond one week

Some services also used the week as an opportunity to connect discussions around child safety with broader RU OK? Day conversations about kindness, wellbeing and looking out for one another, reinforcing the importance of trusted relationships and strong community connections.

National Child Protection Week may last just one week, but creating child-safe environments is an ongoing commitment. Through everyday interactions, meaningful conversations and genuine partnerships with families, our educators continue to foster environments where children feel safe, heard, respected and empowered to thrive.

We thank our children, families and educators for helping create a culture where every conversation matters and every child knows they belong.