Safer Communities for Children Workshop
Safer Communities for Children is a kit that offers an inclusive, culturally safe, whole-of-community protective behaviours and respectful relationships approach, designed for young children aged around four (4) to eight (8) years.
Safer Communities for Children is based on seven (7) bush animal stories with specific messages about safety that also reinforce community responsibility to value and protect children.
The stories can be read to children in informal settings, such as by family members or in libraries or playgroups. They can also be used across a range of setting such as schools, early childhood services and family centres in the following ways:
- as an eight-week program with children
- to complement existing work with children on children’s rights, consent education and protective behaviours
- in family support work with children and families
- in parenting programs or groups.
A unique aspect of the program is that it elicits the voices of children on what makes them feel safe, and encourages adults to respond in ways that are meaningful and relevant for their children and community.
Safer Communities for Children offers a fresh approach to protective behaviours in that it:
- is a primary prevention approach that seeks to prevent all types of abuse and neglect
- focuses on children’s wellbeing and their rights
- gives children a voice
- promotes a partnership and whole-of-community approach to keeping children safe
- focuses on raising community awareness of every adult’s role in protecting and supporting children
- provides organisations with tools and resources that support implementation of the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, and
- provides practical strategies for parents, services and communities to hear from children about what makes them feel safe, and to create physically and emotionally safe and friendly environments that promote children’s safety and wellbeing.
This workshop will explore:
- the frameworks that inform the approach
- the resources that make up the kit, and
- ways you can use Safer Communities for Children in your work with children, families and communities.
