Like many families and educators across Australia, we鈥檝e been deeply affected by the recent reports about child safety in early learning. At 黑料专区, we want you to know we鈥檝e heard your concerns, and we鈥檙e acting.
The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is - and always will be - our highest priority.
We are a community of parents, carers, educators and teachers who share a deep commitment to the children in our care. That鈥檚 why we鈥檝e taken immediate steps to strengthen child safety across all 黑料专区 centres, and to ensure that every team member feels supported and confident in creating safe, nurturing learning environments.
Strengthening Child Protection Through Bravehearts Training
We are proud to announce a new child protection training agreement with , one of Australia鈥檚 most respected child protection organisations.
This expert-led training will support all Affinity educators and leaders in building the skills, knowledge and confidence to keep children safe, every single day.
Through this training agreement:
- All Affinity employees聽will complete Bravehearts鈥櫬�Child Protection for Early Years Educators聽course via our Learning Hub. It includes case studies, practical tools, and strategies for recognising, responding to and preventing harm.
- All Centre Managers聽will undertake聽Creating and Maintaining a Child Safe Environment, a leadership-level course focused on embedding a culture of safety.
- Annual refreshers聽will ensure child protection remains a consistent, visible focus across our centres.
鈥淭he Bravehearts training will give our team real confidence,鈥� says Tanya, a Centre Manager in Townsville. 鈥淚t will help us understand how to spot risks early, have the hard conversations, and support each other in doing the right thing.鈥�
Our National Child Safety Program: What鈥檚 Underway
In addition to Bravehearts training, we鈥檝e launched a comprehensive, multi-layered child safety program across all states and territories, overseen by a dedicated Project Management Office at our Support Office.
Here鈥檚 what鈥檚 in progress:
CCTV Installations and Upgrades
We鈥檙e accelerating the rollout of high-quality digital CCTV systems across more than 250 centres, focused on shared areas to enhance visibility, transparency, and protection.
Child-Safe Environment Audits
We're conducting national audits to identify and address blind spots, including in toileting and nappy change areas, and working quickly to implement improvements.
Supervision and Rostering Protocols
We鈥檙e reviewing our rostering practices to further reduce instances of educators working alone with children, aligning with best-practice guidance.
Secure Storage for Personal Devices
While personal devices have been banned in learning environments since 2023, we鈥檙e now installing secure lockable lockers to support compliance and reduce distractions.
Digitising Staff Training and Movement Records
We鈥檙e transitioning to a centralised, digital tracking system for staff training, onboarding and centre visits, helping us ensure consistent compliance and visibility across the organisation.
Wellbeing and Practice Workshops
We鈥檝e partnered with聽聽to co-create in-person workshops that support staff wellbeing, reflective practice, and continuous improvement in service quality.
Ongoing Consultation
We鈥檙e engaging directly with families, educators, regulators and authorities, inviting ideas, feedback and collaboration to help shape the safest possible learning environments.
Listening, Learning, and Leading
黑料专区 has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of misconduct involving children. We support sector-wide reforms that raise safety standards and protect every child, in every early learning setting.
We know that safety is built on trust. That鈥檚 why we are committed to:
- Transparent, ongoing communication with our families and teams
- Full cooperation with regulators and relevant Departments
- Creating safe spaces for our people to speak up, reflect, and improve
If you have a suggestion, concern or question, we encourage you to contact our Family Support Team on 1800 244 532 or via feedback@affinityeducation.
Thank You for Standing With Us
Whether you鈥檙e a parent, grandparent, carer or educator, we know these past few weeks have been difficult. You鈥檝e shown resilience, care and courage, and we are so grateful for your trust.
We are in this together. And we will continue working, side by side, to create the safest and most nurturing early learning environments in Australia.