Dear Families,
The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is our highest priority at G8 Education. Safety first and always is our number one value that we live each day and it is a responsibility shared by every member of the G8 Education team, and one that sits at the heart of everything we do.
Our Commitment to Child Safety – our existing practices
Child safety is a shared responsibility across our entire team. We are committed to consistently upholding our child safe policies and procedures, ensuring they are embedded in our everyday practices. This includes maintaining our strict prohibition on personal devices in rooms, which is essential to creating a secure and safe environment for every child.
Our teachers and educators receive thorough and ongoing training in child safety and safeguarding. We continue to invest in secure physical and online environments, including cyber security measures. Every team member that is employed by G8 Education holds a valid Working with Children Check, and our Early Childhood Teachers are registered in accordance with their state’s specific requirements.
Importantly, all team members in our centres are designated Mandatory Reporters, legally required to report any disclosure, concern, or reasonable suspicion that a child may be experiencing harm or is at risk. We also encourage confidential and anonymous reporting of any concerns through our Whistleblower Policy.
Strengthening Our Practices – additional initiatives that we will undertake
G8 Education is unwavering in our commitment to continuously improving our policies, processes, and practices to further enhance child safety across our network.
Following a trial of CCTV in several centres, we are accelerating its rollout to all locations.
We are also expanding Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) to give families greater choice in their child’s care. These plans will now allow parents to indicate preferences regarding who supports their child’s personal care routines, such as nappy changes and toileting.
Once the current police investigation and legal proceedings in Victoria have concluded, we will commission an independent review of the incident. The findings will help inform further improvements to our child safety procedures and practices.
Advocating for Sector-Wide Reform
Beyond our own organisation, G8 Education is actively working with governments and regulators across Australia to strengthen child protection measures in Early Childhood sector.
We continue to advocate for harmonised policies, regulations, and systems across jurisdictions to support the delivery of the National Quality Standard Framework set out by ACECQA. As part of our action plan, we are calling for the establishment of a national registry for individuals working with vulnerable populations, including children, NDIS participants, and those in aged care with more rigorous entry requirements.
We also support national registration for teachers and educators, a national employment history register for early childhood workers, and the alignment of state regulations to ensure consistency particularly in areas relating to child safety and protection.
Finally, we will use our voice with governments to call for the delivery of the Productivity Commission’s recommendations, especially those focused on improving workforce quality and child safety.
Thank you for your continued trust. We remain committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and supportive environment for every child.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our approach, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your Centre Manager.
Kind regards,
Pejman Okhovat
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director