G8 Education implements Learn to be Safe program so centres and  families across Australia can work together to keep children safe 

Brisbane mother Jennifer Boyce praises G8 Education’s national rollout of evidence-based  protective behaviours program after seeing positive changes in her three-year-old son 

G8 Education’s Australia-wide rollout of Act for Kids’ Learn to Be Safe with Emmy and  Friends program is being taught to almost 30,000 children, with parents reporting more confidence, communication and understanding of body safety in their children. 

Brisbane mother, Jennifer, said her three-year-old son has shown increased confidence since the program was introduced at The Learning Sanctuary, which is one of G8 Education’s  350 early learning centres now delivering the evidence-based curriculum. 

Jennifer recently noticed that her son was speaking more about body safety and body  autonomy when he was at home.  

“My son has been talking more openly at home about body safety, body autonomy and  private parts,” Jennifer said.  

“He told us that he has ‘safe adults’, who are grown-ups that he can talk to about anything.” 

Jennifer said the program has helped her son be able to express his feelings more clearly  and understand his own boundaries.  

“In the last six months, he has really increased in confidence when it comes to body  autonomy. He is now confident telling us what he feels comfortable with or how he wants  to greet someone,” Jennifer explained.  

“We respect that, and we work out another way he can say hello or goodbye if he doesn’t  want a kiss or a hug.” 

Jennifer has always encouraged open conversations at home, but says the centre’s  structured approach has deepened her son’s understanding of safety, consent and empathy. 

“I noticed the changes in my son, and the centre let us know that they were teaching the  Learn to Be Safe with Emmy and Friends body safety program which I thought was a  fantastic idea. It is so important to start teaching those concepts to children really early,”  Jennifer said.

“The educators have made it just a normal part of everyone’s day at the centre. It’s not a big  deal, it’s just an important part of the children’s everyday learning.” 

Jennifer believes the program should be essential for all early childhood education and care  centres. 

“I know that my son has enjoyed learning about body safety. I definitely feel it is so  important that children are across this, and can articulate how they’re feeling and have  adults they feel safe to talk to about anything,” Jennifer said.  

“You never know when your child might need to share some really important information  with you. If children are given the tools to express themselves, that really is invaluable.” 

Jennifer also praised the diversity represented in the Learn to Be Safe with Emmy and  Friends program’s resources, noting that children can see themselves reflected in the  characters and stories. “When I was looking through the resources, I liked that there’s diversity in the characters. This is what people look like, and this is reflective of our  

community,” Jennifer said.  

A national commitment to child safety and wellbeing 

G8 Education has collaborated with Act for Kids to embed the Learn to Be Safe with Emmy  and Friends program across 350 centres, ensuring close to 30,000 children have access to  age-appropriate lessons about body safety, consent, feelings, safe and unsafe situations,  and identifying trusted adults. The program is delivered by trained educators and integrated  seamlessly into daily routines, making safety education a normal and empowering part of  early learning. 

The protective behaviours program includes extensive training for G8 Education’s Early  Childhood Teachers, Educators and Centre team members, learning resources that can be  accessed by Educators and families alike, a Learn to Be Safe book for all children enrolled in  a G8 Education centre to take home, and songs, videos and animations.  

As part of the program, Act for Kids and G8 Education are also hosting a series of family  webinars, which give parents the opportunity to ask leading child protection experts any  questions about the program.  

The Learn to Be Safe with Emmy and Friends program rollout and embedment in G8  Education centres across Australia will continue throughout 2026, 2027 and beyond. For  more information about the Learn to Be Safe with Emmy and Friends program, please visit: https://emmyandfriends.com.au/ 

My mum took my son to the shops, and he started to wander off. She told him to come back, reached out her hand and said, “You need to hold Nan's hand at the shops.” In my son’s true style, he declined and kept walking off. A man reached out his hand and said, “Do you want to hold my hand instead?” My son quickly ran back to my mum and said, “Nan, he's not my safe person. I’ll hold Nan's hand now.”

While I believe the interaction was very innocent and well-meaning, it highlighted to me the value of the lessons you have taught him, at just two, in his class. Several hours later, I was able to follow up with him about who is and isn’t a safe person for him (this being something obviously initiated by Great Beginnings, because I assumed he was too young to understand and hadn’t used these words with him before). He rattled off family members' and daycare ladies' names that he believes to be his safe people.

As a mum, I can’t express how grateful I am for both the lessons you are teaching him at such a young age, which I do strongly believe are protecting and safeguarding him, and also for the fact that he listed so many ladies from Great Beginnings as his “safe people”. To know he is loved, cared for, and safe is so comforting.  

From our family to all the ladies that have played such an important role in educating and caring, THANK YOU! It really doesn't go unnoticed in our home.