In early childhood education and care (ECEC), safeguarding children is not only about responding to harm, it is about creating environments where children are safe and feel safe, and where they are valued and supported to thrive.
The blame for harm to children sits firmly with the perpetrator. But preventing that harm is a shared responsibility – across educators and teachers, services, regulators, governments, and sector leaders like CELA.
Every team member in an early education service, from educator to administrator, plays an essential role in building a culture where early signs of concern are recognised and acted upon. When adults remain silent or unsure, opportunities for early intervention may be missed. Being a protector means stepping forward with confidence and care.
By observing closely and documenting factually, educators can create a supportive bridge between what a child is expressing and the help they may need.
Noticing the signs
Young children are capable communicators, often expressing their feelings and experiences through behaviour, play, and body language long before they develop the words to explain them. Educators may notice a child becoming unusually quiet, expressing heightened emotions, revisiting earlier developmental behaviours, or showing curiosity about topics not typically discussed by children of that age. These cues should never be dismissed. They may be indicators that a child is experiencing stress, uncertainty or harm, and they deserve our full attention and compassionate inquiry.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) highlights the importance of noticing patterns and understanding that signs such as withdrawal, emotional distress, or changes in social relationships are opportunities for adults to respond with curiosity, empathy and action. (Source: AIFS)
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It's important to note that a single indicator on its own may not confirm abuse, however, educators should not wait for patterns to arise to raise their concerns with their managers, a trusted colleague (such as a child safety champion) or relevant reporting agencies.
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Understanding your duty to act
Educators are in a unique position of trust. You build strong, trusting relationships with children, families, and colleagues and educators are often among the first to notice concerning behavioural changes. These may include grooming behaviours such as:
While many educators are alert to looking out for signs of abuse from family members, we must also remain vigilant about the possibility of these behaviours from colleagues or other trusted adults within our own services.
Across all states and territories, mandatory reporting laws require certain professionals, including early childhood educators, to report suspected abuse or neglect to child protection authorities. This means that if an educator suspects that a child is at risk, they must make a report to their state or territory’s relevant child protection agency. These laws vary between jurisdictions, but all aim to ensure that early signs of harm are addressed before they escalate. States and Territories have tools that educators and leaders can use to assess their concerns against thresholds for reporting. They support educators to navigate this process confidently and ensures concerns are taken seriously, even when there is uncertainty.
Everyone has a role in prevention. Within their specific criminal laws, States and Territories also require adults who know or should reasonably know that a child has experienced abuse to report that information to police. This reinforces the collective responsibility we all share to protect children and uphold their rights to safety and dignity.
Moving beyond bystanding
Sometimes, team members may witness behaviour from another adult that raises concern.
This could include:
- the use of inappropriate language
- unreasonable discipline
- patterns of favouritism
States and Territories that have an established Reportable Conduct Scheme require that relevant allegations of misconduct involving children be reported to the relevant reportable conduct agency. These protections exist not to shame or blame, but to ensure that all children are cared for by adults who act with integrity, professionalism, and genuine regard for their wellbeing.
Proactive reporting protects not only children, but also the team and organisations. Most incidents of reportable conduct are preventable when organisations implement clear codes of conduct, offer regular supervision and provide child-focused training.
Below is a helpful table showing the different reporting and responding schemes across Australia.
Source: ACECQA.
Understanding grooming in early childhood settings
According to the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS), grooming refers to deliberate behaviours used to form a connection with a child or their community of trust for the purpose of sexual abuse. It may involve gradually building relationships, favouritism, gift-giving, or creating situations that reduce supervision and increase secrecy.
In early childhood settings, grooming can be subtle and often disguised as care or helpfulness, making it difficult to detect without strong professional boundaries and vigilant supervision.
Children are never responsible for the actions of adults. It is the responsibility of educators and leaders to recognise grooming behaviours and respond without delay.
Preventing harm starts with a culture of transparency – one where physical contact follows clear boundaries and is visible to others, where relationships with children remain professional, and where concerns about a colleague’s conduct can be raised safely and without fear. Services must ensure that grooming is explicitly addressed in staff training, codes of conduct, and child safe policies.
Creating a culture of prevention
ECEC settings are ideal environments for building a culture of prevention. Educators already use reflective practice to create inclusive programs, support children’s rights, and build strong partnerships with families. Embedding child safety into daily routines and conversations builds trust and supports children’s agency. Services that encourage open communication and take every concern seriously are better positioned to protect children and support their development.
The National Quality Standard requires that services uphold the rights of every child to feel safe and secure. Quality Area 2.2.3 highlights child protection as a shared responsibility across the whole team. This includes knowing what to look for, how to respond, and how to support one another to act in the best interests of children and families.
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Building confidence through training
Many educators find that after completing specialised child protection training, their awareness and confidence grow significantly. They begin to notice subtle behaviours or interactions that previously might have been overlooked, such as changes in a child’s play or social withdrawal, and feel equipped and confident to take appropriate action. This shift not only improves the safety net around children but also fosters a culture of vigilance and open communication within the team.
Training transforms uncertainty into informed, compassionate responses, ensuring that concerns are raised early and children receive the support they need.
For example, the CHCPRT025: Identify and report children and young people at risk course is a nationally recognised qualification designed specifically for early childhood educators. It covers legal responsibilities, ethical decision-making, recognising signs of harm, and responding with care and professionalism. The course also offers practical guidance on using the Mandatory Reporter Guide, supporting disclosures, and fostering a child-safe workplace culture. CELA can support your service with this training and a range of other professional development options such as body safety and how to respond to children's behaviour.
When educators are confident, supported and well-trained, they become protective adults who advocate for the rights and wellbeing of children. They model safety, kindness and accountability which are qualities that children learn from and rely on.
Together, we can build safe, respectful and empowering early learning environments to be places where every child is seen, heard and supported to grow with confidence.
References
Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority. (2025). Reporting and responding schemes – Key information, links and contacts tool. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-06/CSCG_Reporting%20and%20Responding%20Schemes%20-%20Template_AttD.pdf
Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS). (2023). Mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect. https://aifs.gov.au/resources/resource-sheets/mandatory-reporting-child-abuse-and-neglect
Community Early Learning Australia. (2024). CHCPRT025 Identify and report children and young people at risk: Learner guide (Version 2.0)
Department of Communities and Justice. (n.d.). Mandatory Reporter Guide. NSW Government. https://reporter.childstory.nsw.gov.au/s/
Kaufman, K., Erooga, M., Stewart, K., Zatkin, J., McConnell, E., Tews, H., & Higgins, D. (2016). Risk profiles for institutional child sexual abuse: A literature review. Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Australian Institute of Family Studies. https://aifs.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-06/Research%20Report%20-%20Risk%20profiles%20for%20institutional%20child%20sexual%20abuse%20-%20Causes.pdf
National Office for Child Safety. (n.d.). Make a report. Australian Government. https://www.childsafety.gov.au/make-report
Office of the Children’s Guardian. (2022). The NSW Reportable Conduct Scheme – Fact sheet 10: Information for employers. https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-02/fs_rc_faq_employers.pdf
Office of the Children’s Guardian. (2022). The NSW Reportable Conduct Scheme – Fact sheet 9: Information for employees. https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-02/fs_rc_faq_employee.pdf
Office of the Children’s Guardian. (n.d.). Child Safe Scheme. https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/child-safe-scheme