Respectful Relationships in early childhood: building foundations for lifelong wellbeing

The Victorian Government is offering free Respectful Relationships professional learning to teachers and educators working in Victorian Government-funded kindergarten programs.

The initiative is designed to help early childhood professionals promote respect and equality and support children to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence from the early years.

It recognises that children begin developing ideas about relationships, communication, emotions, fairness and identity through their everyday interactions with adults and other children.

Early childhood teachers and educators therefore play an important role in modelling respectful behaviour, supporting children’s agency and creating learning environments where all children feel safe, valued and included.

The professional learning has been developed to support practice aligned with the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework and the National Quality Standard.

It will strengthen educators’ capacity to:

• Promote respectful relationships, positive attitudes and behaviours through their teaching practice
• Support children to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence
• Understand the role of gender equality in preventing family violence
• Identify practical ways to promote gender equality in early childhood settings
• Recognise family violence and build appropriate support networks.

Respectful relationships are not developed through one-off conversations alone. They are shaped through the daily culture of a service, including how educators communicate with children, respond to conflict, encourage participation and address exclusion or harmful stereotypes.

In early childhood settings, teachers and educators can create opportunities for children to:

• Express their feelings and ideas
• Listen to and respect different perspectives
• Negotiate and solve problems with others
• Participate in decision-making
• Develop confidence and a sense of agency
• Recognise fair, kind and safe behaviour.

Play, routines, group experiences and spontaneous interactions all provide opportunities for educators to model respectful communication and help children develop the language to describe emotions, relationships and boundaries.

Children’s learning should remain developmentally appropriate and responsive to their individual capabilities, family context, culture and experiences.

A key element of the Victorian training is exploring how gender equality can contribute to the prevention of family violence.

For early childhood services, this may involve reflecting on whether children have equitable opportunities to participate, lead, make choices and express emotions.

Educators may also consider how books, toys, displays, language and everyday expectations influence children’s understanding of what people can do and how they should treat one another.

This work requires more than challenging stereotypes when they arise. It involves creating learning environments where all children are encouraged to be capable, caring and respectful, and where difference is acknowledged positively.

The program also focuses on helping educators recognise family violence and build support networks.

Early childhood professionals may notice changes in a child’s behaviour, presentation, relationships or engagement. Building educator confidence to respond appropriately is an important part of supporting children and families.

The training does not replace a service’s child protection, family violence, reporting or referral procedures. Educators should continue to follow their organisation’s policies and relevant Victorian legal and professional requirements.

The program includes:

• A two-hour self-paced online training module
• A one-day online workshop.

Workshops are being offered throughout September and October 2026. Registrations for the October 2026 sessions are available through the Respectful Relationships Online Learning System.

Respectful Relationships professional learning is listed on the School Readiness Funding Menu.

Eligible services can use the menu to arrange backfill or additional support, or apply directly to the Victorian Department of Education for reimbursement.

Services applying directly must submit a completed backfill claim form and tax invoice after the participating educator has attended the full-day workshop. Claims must be submitted within two weeks.

The training provides an opportunity for educators and leaders to reflect on how respect, equality and safety are experienced across the whole service.

This includes examining adult behaviour, children’s participation, learning environments, language, relationships with families and the way concerns are identified and addressed.

When respectful relationships are consistently modelled and supported, children are better positioned to develop confidence, empathy, communication skills and a strong sense of belonging.

Further information about eligibility, registration and backfill arrangements is available on the Victorian Government’s Respectful Relationships in early childhood webpage.