From 7–13 September, it was National Child Protection Week, a reminder that keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility. The 2025 theme, “Shifting Conversation to Action,” encourages all of us to move beyond awareness and take meaningful steps to create safer environments.
At YFCC, child safety is at the heart of everything we do. Guided by the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, we make sure every child and young person feels welcome, respected, and heard. This means:
- Training our staff and volunteers to recognise and respond to concerns.
- Creating youth-friendly spaces where children and young people feel comfortable to share their ideas.
- Valuing their voices by acting on the feedback we receive.
- Supporting families with compassion and respect as they work towards their goals.
Each month, our Family Support Services (FSS) Team reviews one of the National Principles, reflecting on how we can turn conversation into action. In September, we focused on Principle 4: Equity is upheld, and diverse needs are respected in policy and practice.
Some of the ways our FSS team puts this into action include:
- Using inclusivity plans (with client consent) to better understand existing supports, identify additional needs, and connect families with services, community networks, and advocacy.
- Actively contributing to YFCC’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
- Tailoring service plans to reflect the individual circumstances, strengths, and needs of each family we support.
- Ensuring accessibility of services by offering flexible meeting options (home visits, community outreach, phone or online) and adapting resources into plain language or culturally appropriate formats so that all families can fully engage.
By embedding these practices into our everyday work, we strive to ensure all children, young people, and families feel safe, valued and included.
