Two children sitting outdoors with their backs to the camera, wearing grey and blue shirts, and large red hats. They are in a sandy area with gardening tools, a watering can, and a wooden fence in the background.

Commitment to Child Safety and Wellbeing

JJ McMahon Memorial Kindergarten is committed to creating a child safe organisation where all children are safe and feel safe. We have zero tolerance of child abuse, racism and bullying, and we understand our legal and moral obligations to treat all concerns seriously.

We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children, and actively support and facilitate their inclusion.

We are committed to working towards reconciliation. We accept the significance of our ongoing responsibilities to strive for and encourage a future society where equality and acknowledgement is embraced and valued.

We celebrate, value and include children of all backgrounds, genders, sexualities, cultures, bodies and abilities, and are committed to creating an organisation where all children feel safe, happy and empowered.

A young boy with dark hair holds a colorful magnetic building toy to his face, looking through it. The toy consists of interconnected red, blue, and yellow magnetic squares and triangles.

National Model Code

The National Model Code and Guidelines were introduced by The Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) and aims to support services to implement child safe practices regarding the use of electronic devices for taking images or videos of children, and to increase awareness of staff, volunteers and families of the child safety risks and considerations in using electronic devices. There are 4 parts to the National Model Code:

Part 1: Only service issued devices are used

Part 2: Personal devices are only used or carried for authorised essential purposes

Part 3: Authorised essential purpose include emergencies, health and family needs

Part 4: We have strict controls for storage and retention of images of children

Our current practices reflect these recommendations, and as part of our ongoing commitment to promote the safety, health and wellbeing of children we have adopted the National Model Code.

More information about the National Model Code can be found here.

Two children working together on a puzzle at a wooden table, one child wearing a black shirt with 'kindergarten' written on it, the other wearing a gray and white shirt.

Child Safety Standards

To ensure the well-being and safety of all children, it is a requirement that all early childhood settings adhere to The Child Safe Standards, which are regulated by the Department of Education and the Commission for Children and Young People.

There are 11 Child Safe Standards which aim to protect children and young people by requiring organisations to put policies, procedures and processes in place to ensure children’s safety at all times, and to prevent and respond to abuse. We reflect on our practices and procedures constantly to ensure children’s safety at JJ’s, continually recognising how we are meeting each Child Safe Standard and identifying ways in which we can continue to do so.

More information on the Child Safety Standards can be found at https://ccyp.vic.gov.au/child-safe-standards/the-11-child-safe-standards/.