Shared responsibility in a digital world: how one preschool is approaching photos, smart watches and child safety

From family photographs at preschool events to smart watches worn by educators, digital technology is creating new considerations for early childhood services seeking to protect children’s privacy and safety while maintaining connections with families.

St Mary’s North Tamworth Preschool has shared how consultation, risk assessment and clear communication are shaping its response to digital devices and photography, as early childhood education and care (ECEC) services navigate an increasingly complex digital environment.

Preschool Director Monica Blanch led a two-term digital risk assessment that considered digital device use, photography, artificial intelligence (AI), the collection and sharing of data and other aspects of digital safety.

The process resulted in a 22-page ‘living document’ designed to evolve alongside changing technology, regulatory expectations and the needs of the preschool community.

“Our preschool is a shared space where we all hold responsibility for protecting the privacy, safety and rights of every child,” Ms Blanch said.

The preschool’s experience, shared by Community Early Learning Australia (CELA), provides an example of how one service has sought to translate digital child-safety considerations into everyday practice.

St Mary’s began its digital risk assessment in Term 3, 2025, with the review continuing across two terms.

Rather than focusing on individual devices in isolation, the preschool considered its broader digital environment and the ways technology interacted with children, educators and families.

The process included reviewing policies, procedures and event risk assessments, consulting the preschool’s parent committee and families, considering regulatory guidance, seeking legal advice and undertaking professional learning.

Educators were also involved in reflecting on existing practices and considering how new expectations could operate in practice.

The consultation process was central to the service’s approach, allowing those affected by changes to understand why they were being introduced and contribute to their implementation.

Photography at preschool events was one area requiring particular consideration.

For many families, taking photographs is an important part of celebrations and special occasions. At the same time, images captured at an event can inadvertently include other children and may subsequently be shared beyond the service.

St Mary’s sought to balance these considerations rather than prohibit family photography altogether.

At after-hours events, families can take photographs of their own child, with expectations around photography and image sharing communicated before and during the event.

Families receive written information through the preschool’s digital communication platform, while ‘Snap and share with care’ signage provides reminders at the service.

For larger events, Ms Blanch also provides a verbal reminder at the beginning of the event, with educators supporting families to follow the guidelines while activities are underway.

Where the preschool takes photographs, service-approved devices are used and images are shared online only where the appropriate written consent has been obtained.

The service has also trialled a practical alternative to families photographing children themselves.

At a recent event, St Mary’s established a dedicated photo booth where an educator used a registered preschool device to photograph children with their family members.

The images were then provided to families.

The arrangement enabled families to capture photographs of significant occasions while reducing the likelihood of other children being inadvertently included in images taken on personal devices.

Ms Blanch said families had responded positively to the preschool’s approach, with communication focusing on the shared responsibility of protecting children’s privacy rather than simply imposing restrictions.

The digital risk assessment also prompted the preschool to consider wearable technology used by educators.

Modern smart watches can include cameras, cellular connectivity and the ability to record, store or transfer information, creating considerations that may not arise with traditional watches.

St Mary’s temporarily paused the use of wearable digital devices while its risk assessment was completed and the relevant policy reviewed.

The service subsequently developed a definition of a smart watch that included devices with cellular connectivity and/or the capacity to take, record, store or transfer images without cellular connectivity.

Educators were consulted about the changes and alternative devices, including basic digital watches and fitness trackers without communication or recording capabilities, were discussed.

Wearable devices continuing to be used were recorded on the preschool’s digital device register.

Ms Blanch also stopped wearing her own smart watch, replacing it with an analogue watch.

“I believed it was important to model the same expectations I was asking of my team,” she said.

The preschool also recognised that a single approach may not be appropriate for every educator.

Confidential discussions were made available for team members who may need wearable technology because of medical circumstances or caring responsibilities.

Individual arrangements could be supported through measures including medical documentation, risk assessments and safety agreements.

Ms Blanch said explaining the reasons behind the changes and involving educators in the process contributed to acceptance of the new arrangements.

“With clear communication, understanding of the ‘why’, and genuine involvement in the process, there was a strong sense of shared responsibility among the team for maintaining a child-safe environment,” she said.

The CELA case study also highlights the importance of considering children’s voices when developing approaches to digital safety.

Including children in consultation provides opportunities for services to understand their perspectives on photographs, privacy and digital technology, while supporting their developing understanding of consent and personal information.

For approved providers and service leaders, the experience at St Mary’s provides a practical prompt to consider whether existing policies and risk assessments reflect the capabilities of contemporary digital devices.

Phones and tablets may be the most obvious consideration, but smart watches and other connected or wearable technologies can also capture, store, transmit or provide access to information.

The case study comes as expectations surrounding children’s digital privacy and safety continue to evolve.

Australia’s Children’s Online Privacy Code is due to be in place by 10 December 2026, forming part of a broader shift towards strengthening protections for children interacting with digital services.

For ECEC services, St Mary’s experience demonstrates the value of considering digital safety as an ongoing area of governance and practice rather than a one-off policy exercise.

It also shows that protecting children’s privacy does not necessarily require eliminating familiar experiences such as family photography. Instead, risk assessment, consultation and clear expectations can help services determine approaches appropriate to their own children, families, educators and operating environments.

Importantly, St Mary’s approach represents one service’s response to its circumstances and risk assessment, rather than a prescribed model that all ECEC services are required to adopt.

The full case study is available from Community Early Learning Australia.