Paratea Preschool is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children, families and staff within our community. We are devoted to providing a child safe environment where children, families and staff feel safe, supported and can actively participate in decisions that affect their lives. Paratea Preschool has a zero-tolerance policy for child abuse, discrimination and racism. We will act immediately to ensure our environment, the safety and wellbeing of all children, families and staff is always maintained.

Creating a safe space in which all voices are heard, respected and valued is of upmost importance to us at Paratea Preschool. We embrace diversity and collaboration and will continue to build strong mutually respectful relationships with the children, families, staff and wider community. 

We are committed to the cultural safety and inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and children with a disability. We warmly welcome all children and families into our Paratea community.

Paratea Preschool is committed to regularly training and educating staff, community and volunteers on child abuse risks. Our staff have legal and moral obligations to contact authorities when worried about a child’s safety, which will be followed rigorously. Paratea Preschool staff are trained to always conduct a duty of care, follow procedures and take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harm to children, families or staff. All allegations or concerns for a child’s safety and wellbeing will be treated seriously, respectfully and consistently with our policies and procedures. These policies and procedures are in line with National Regulations and Law (NQF), as well as the 11 Child Safe Standards (CCYP). These policies and procedures guide staff, children, families and the wider community to:

– Empower children to actively express their views and encourage staff to listen, document and act upon any concerns raised by children or young people

– Provide an environment that is committed to promoting the physical, emotional and cultural safety and inclusion for all children

– Embed strategies which allow all members to acknowledge, appreciate and provide cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

– Promote the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds

– Ensure that children with a disability are safe and can participate equally

– Define acceptable and unacceptable behaviour to staff, volunteers, families and children

– Ensure any forms of racism are identified, confronted and are not tolerated 

Child protection is a shared responsibility between Paratea Preschool staff, volunteers, families and members of our preschool community. We are fully invested in the continual development of inclusive practices.