Act for Kids supports the move for all childcare workers to be banned from using personal phones and iPads at centres, as recommended by a nationwide review into child safety.
Clearly something needs to change and we will advocate for any measures, policies or legislation that could better protect children.
We need to acknowledge personal phone bans are already in place in many childcare centres, but a blanket ban will ensure more consistency.
Act for Kids also supports the creation of a national register of educators, which shows any police investigations or disciplinary action against employees, as well as convictions and charges.
This should not take away from the incredible efforts of the majority of childcare workers who work very hard every day to care for children.
Child sexual abuse is one of the most horrific forms of abuse, which can have detrimental lifelong impacts on the victim and their family, who often aren’t aware that their child was at-risk of harm or had experienced any abuse at all.
Our advice for parents and guardians is to please report any concerns you may have – no matter how trivial or small it may seem.
For support, contact the Child Protection Hotline on 1800 700 250 or Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.
Quotes can be attributed to Act for Kids CEO Dr Katrina Lines