Working with Children Week invites ECEC services to reflect, refresh and recommit to child safety

Working with Children Week 2025 will be held from 23 to 29 June, this years theme,  ‘Partners in keeping children safe’invites  all who work or volunteer with children to reflect on how their practice supports safety, wellbeing and trust.

In early childhood education and care (ECEC), this week provides an opportunity not only to recognise the professionalism of educators, but to take meaningful action in building and maintaining a child-safe culture.

A week to celebrate and strengthen

Organised by the Office of the Children’s Guardian (OCG), the week promotes awareness of child safety requirements, including the Working with Children Check (WWCC) and the NSW Child Safe Standards, which all child-related organisations must follow.

With more than 1.9 million people holding a WWCC clearance in NSW, the week also reinforces that child safety is more than compliance, it requires an ongoing focus on culture. 

These requirements align closely with the National Quality Standard (Quality Area 2) and Regulation 84, which requires that all educators in NSW receive approved child protection training.

How services can reflect, refresh and recommit

ECEC services can use the week to:

• Review and align policies with the NSW Child Safe Standards and the NQF
• Complete the free Child Safe Self-Assessment Tool to evaluate their service’s readiness
• Join the free OCG webinar on 26 June, which explains WWCC employer responsibilities
• Use child-friendly activities, such as this appreciation cards and colouring sheet, to involve children in the conversation
• Celebrate staff contributions using the official poster and social media tiles  and join the conversation via #WWCW2025 and #ChecktheCheck

“We use Working with Children Week as a team reflection point,” said Sarah, a centre manager in the Hunter region. “It’s a reminder that our policies need to be lived, not just filed.”

The Office of the Children’s Guardian encourages leaders to thank their teams, invest in professional learning and promote safe, inclusive practices every day of the year.

Learn more and access resources at the Working with Children Week page.