This October saw the Children’s Week Council of Australia advocating and promoting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child, and in the last week of October Australian’s were encouraged to participate in the largest child safety education and awareness day – Day for Daniel (Friday 28 October 2022). This year’s theme was Brave Conversations, and encouraged parents, carers and educators to start conversations with children about personal safety.

Through our Mother Duck philosophy, Key Foundational Practices and ‘Image of Child’ approach it is evident that our organisation prioritises and is committed to advocating the rights of the child.

In 1989 the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was created as a commitment to help all children and young people feel safe, supported and valued. It has since been signed by nearly every country in the world. Together, we can use these rights to make sure that every child and young person in Australia can learn, play, grow and live safely. See website link to the Rights of the Child poster.

At Mother Duck, your child’s safety and protection is our highest priority as we believe that all children have a right to be safe and protected from harm. Did you know that every Mother Duck service must adhere to a number of legislative and community standard practices when ensuring children’s safety?

These include –

• Our Approved Providers/Service Operators, educators and staff members must undergo a Blue Card check screening process, which is more than a police check prior to commencing work with children. This screening process is conducted by the Queensland Government and all Blue Card holders must participate in the renewal process every 3 years. At Mother Duck there is a strict ‘No Card, No Start’ policy, and
• As per the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations every Nominated Supervisor and Responsible Person in day-to-day charge of the service must complete child protection training and all staff members at the service who work with children are advised of the existence and application of the current child protection law and understand their obligations under that law, and

• Our Mother Duck organisation ensures comprehensive policies and procedures are in place to inform practice, clarify educator obligations and set standards for high-quality operational performance in relation to providing child safe environments for all children (Early Childhood Education and Care National Regulations 168), and

These obligations, expectations and guidelines ensure that when your child attends our Mother Duck service that –

• Educators believe in the rights of every child –
  • A child’s right to be safe
  • A child’s right to play
  • A child’s right to discover
  • A child’s right to speak
  • A child’s right to be healthy
• Educators have been screened as fit to work with children
• High-quality education and care is delivered by educators that are studying and/or qualified in the field of early childhood and hold knowledge of child development
• Children are kept safe by leaders that support their teams of educators to understand the Mother Duck policy and procedural guidelines and legislative obligations
• Children are actively supervised in line with strict supervision plans and practices, and
• Educators support children to build skills in personal safety

Parent Resources

To assist you on your journey of building your child’s skills around safety please find links below to a range of factsheets, resources, and information on the topic of personal safety education –

• Kid safe resources
• Talking personal safety
• Grandparents safety resources
• How to be a safety helper
• Everyone’s got a bottom

At Mother Duck, you can feel confident and assured that each of our Mother Duck services and educators prioritise and protect your child’s health, safety, and well-being, and view your child as a capable and competent contributor who has choices and rights. Our educators are dedicated to ensuring your children feel safe, protected, and heard.