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Child Safe Standard 2 - Embedding child safety and wellbeing

This article provides information and guidance to help providers and educators implement best practice processes related to Child Safe Standard 2.

A teacher sitting on the floor reading a book to 2 small children.

Creating and sustaining a child-safe culture begins with strong, visible leadership. In early childhood education and care services, leadership is not limited to the approved provider or nominated supervisor, it is shared across educators, coordinators, and anyone with responsibility for decision-making. When child safety and wellbeing are embedded into governance and everyday practice, they become more than a compliance requirement; they shape the values, behaviours, and expectations of the entire service community.

A strong organisational culture prioritises the rights, safety, and best interests of children in all aspects of service delivery. Leaders set the tone by modelling respectful relationships, responding proactively to risks, and ensuring that child safety is central to planning, policies, and daily interactions. When leadership consistently reinforces these priorities, educators and staff are empowered to act in the best interests of children with confidence and accountability.

Child Safe Standard 2 (CSS 2) is not just about leadership structures but about creating a culture where child safety is visible, lived, and prioritised in every decision, every day.

To comply with CSS 2, all early childhood education and care services in Victoria must, at a minimum, ensure that they comply with all elements of the standard:

  • The service makes a public commitment to child safety (2.1).
  • A child safe culture is championed and modelled at all levels of the service from the top down and bottom up (2.2).
  • Governance arrangements facilitate implementation of the child safety and wellbeing policy at all levels (2.3).
  • The service’s code of conduct provides guidelines for staff and volunteers on expected behavioural standards and responsibilities (2.4).
  • Risk management strategies focus on preventing, identifying and mitigating risks to children (2.5).
  • Staff and volunteers understand their obligations on information sharing and record keeping (2.6).

What should a service’s approach to CSS 2 look like?

In practice, a compliant and effective CSS 2 approach might include (but not be limited to):

  • leaders, such as the approved provider and nominated supervisor, clearly articulating their commitment to child safety through service values, strategic plans, and daily decision-making.
  • embedding child safety as a standing agenda item in leadership and team meetings, ensuring it remains a consistent focus for discussion, reflection, and improvement.
  • allocating clear roles and responsibilities for child safety, including identifying a Child Safety Officer or equivalent role to support implementation and oversight.
  • ensuring governance structures (e.g. management committees) actively monitor child safety practices, risks, and compliance with the Standards.
  • modelling respectful, inclusive, and professional behaviour in all interactions, reinforcing expectations outlined in the code of conduct.
  • reviewing the induction process, and ongoing supervision of staff and volunteers to promote understanding of the service’s child safety and wellbeing policy.
  • providing regular professional learning opportunities that strengthen educators’ understanding of child safety, reportable conduct, and their responsibilities under legislation.
  • encouraging a culture where staff feel safe to raise concerns, ask questions, and report risks without fear of blame or retribution.
  • linking child safety priorities to quality improvement planning processes, ensuring continuous review and development.

What the Regulatory Authority will look for when assessing compliance with CSS 2

During visits, the Regulatory Authority may:

  • speak with approved providers, nominated supervisors, and educators about how leadership promotes and maintains a child-safe culture
  • review governance structures and documentation (such as meeting minutes or quality improvement plans) to see how child safety is prioritised and monitored
  • observe interactions between staff and children to assess whether respectful, safe, and inclusive practices are consistently modelled
  • ask how leadership supports educators to understand and meet their child safety responsibilities
  • examine how risks to child safety are identified, escalated, and managed at both operational and governance levels
  • assess whether child safety is embedded into everyday decision making, rather than treated as a standalone or occasional focus.

Questions to help early childhood education and care services reflect on current practice

Ongoing reflection helps strengthen leadership and ensures child safety remains central to service culture. Consider:

  • do leaders consistently model and communicate a strong commitment to child safety and wellbeing?
  • how is child safety embedded into governance processes, such as meetings, planning, and risk management?
  • do educators feel confident and supported to raise concerns about child safety?
  • are roles and responsibilities for child safety clearly defined and understood across the service?
  • how is a positive, open, and accountable culture fostered among staff and leadership?
  • in what ways is child safety reflected in the service’s philosophy, policies, and daily practices?
  • are there risk management plans in place to prevent, identify and mitigate risks to children in care?
  • how are continuous improvement processes used to strengthen child-safe culture over time?

More information and resources

Further guidance on CSS 2 is available from:

Updated

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