Why Teaching “My Body, My Rules” Matters in Early Childhood Education – Beyond Policy and Regulation

In early childhood education, navigating constant changes — from updated reporting timelines to discussions about surveillance cameras — can feel overwhelming. But no matter what policies shift or tools are introduced, one thing remains at the heart of quality practice: children’s right to feel safe, respected, and heard.

That’s where teaching body autonomy in early childhood becomes not only relevant, but essential.

At Early Childhood Training, we’ve been working with educators and services to explore practical, age-appropriate ways to empower children to understand consent, boundaries, and body safety. One of the most effective tools? Bookslike “My Body! What I Say Goes!” and “My Body, My Rules.”

These picture books help children learn that:

• Their body belongs to them

• They can say “no”

• Safe and unsafe touch can be named and discussed

• Trusted adults are there to listen and support

But it’s not just about reading the book. It’s about how we introduce the topic. That’s why we encourage all services and students undertaking their Certificate III or Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care to practice collaborative communication with families. Before reading books like these with children, discuss the purpose with families, explain the content, and ensure that cultural values and diverse perspectives are respected and honoured.

Why This Matters for Child Safe Practice

Amid growing expectations in the early childhood sector, it’s vital to remember: regulations can support safety, but relationships create it. A truly child-safe environment is one where:

• Children feel confident using their voice

• Adults listen without judgment

• Boundaries are respected and modelled

• Protective behaviours are taught from the earliest years

What Educators Can Do Today:

Regardless of what changes may come in the sector, here are four simple things you can do now to promote body safety and autonomy in your program:

✅ Use storybooks and role play to explore body safety
✅ Model respectful interactions and personal boundaries
✅ Teach children that it’s okay to say “no”
✅ Involve families in the conversation and share your resources

At Early Childhood Training, we believe these topics should be incorporated into every service, not as a box to tick, but as a foundation of best practice. We offer professional development, resource support, and mentoring to help educators and students feel confident in embedding child safety into everyday interactions.

Let’s not wait for policy to change. Let’s start creating cultures of safety, confidence, and voice — one conversation, one book, and one child at a time.

Looking for support or training on child safety and consent in early learning?
Contact us today or explore our professional development offerings for early childhood educators.

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Why Child Safety Matters in Early Childhood — Now More Than Ever

At Early Childhood Training, we believe child safety is not just something we talk about — it’s the heart of what we do. Whether you’re starting your Certificate III or stepping into leadership with a Diploma, understanding and embedding child protection practices is absolutely non-negotiable.

Why is child safety so important in early childhood?

Because the early years shape the rest of a child’s life, children learn trust, safety, and belonging through the relationships they form and the environments they explore. As educators, we are not just caregivers — we are protectors, role models, and advocates.

What’s happening right now in our sector?

There’s growing urgency across Australia to strengthen child protection practices in education and care. Updated Child Safe Standards, tighter mandatory reporting timelines, and stronger regulatory accountability all point to one message: we must do better.

We train educators to:

• Understand the impact of trauma on children

• Recognise signs of harm or neglect

• Embed child safety into every interaction

• Respond confidently and ethically under mandatory reporting laws

When children feel safe, they can learn, grow, and thrive. That’s what we want for every child — and what we’re committed to building with every student who trains with us.

What can you do right now in your centre?

Small, consistent actions make a big difference in building a culture of child safety. Here are three things you can start today:

• 🧾 Review your child protection and reporting policies with your team — are they clear, current, and understood by everyone?

• 🗣️ Talk with educators and children about safe and unsafe behaviours. Create a space where children can speak up, ask questions, and feel heard.

• 🧑‍🏫 Ensure students, new staff, and relief educators know their responsibilities: orientation and ongoing mentoring matter.

Child safety is everyone's responsibility — but it starts with leadership, awareness, and action.

Want to become an educator who makes a real impact?

Our Certificate III and Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care qualifications equip you with the skills, confidence, and deep understanding to support children through every stage of their development, especially when it matters most.

👉 Contact us to find out more.
Because safe children grow into strong, curious, and capable adults — and that starts with you.

How to become a star at goal setting

One of the key responsibilities of the Centre Manager is to support the team while motivating and inspiring them to become the best educators possible. It’s imperative that each staff member is given time to formally set goals and that these are being constantly evaluated, worked on and celebrated.

Here are 3 tips on becoming professional goal setting expert: 

1. Relate them back to the Quality Areas so it’s clear what is being worked on. This will also give the educators a greater confidence in discussing these areas during assessment.

2. Define how these goals will be achieved. Will the goals will be met through further research and learning such as attending Professional Development session, through practical implementation, or by working with other staff to achieve a common purpose?

3. Set timeframes and discuss how evidence of work will be collated. Will it be through photographs, written documentation or via discussions at the next review?

Keep the staff motivated by checking in and offering assistance and encouragement. Celebrate when goals are met! Lead by example and talk about centre-wide goals and offer updates at staff meetings. 

9 tips for a more environmentally sustainable centre

These great tips are really easy to implement around your centre. The children will learn so much from being involved in these experiences. 

🚰 Recycle water the children have left over after they have a drink. Get them to help empty their water bottles or cups on to indoor plants or in the garden and watch the greenery grow!

🥕 Start a small veggie garden, you can even grow something in small ice cream containers, old gum boots or milk bottles. The kids will love eating what they’ve nurtured.

🍳Ask families to donate clothes, kitchen utensils, and other household items for the children to play with in the home corner or sand pit.

🐛 Start a compost bin.

🗑Transform the home corner into a recycling depot, complete with items to sort into recycling bins

🌱Organise an excursion to buy seedlings from the local nursery, let the children choose their own and then watch them grow together.

♻️ Recycle paper in a box for children to use in their art experiences.

🖼Encourage the use of natural art experiences.  Drawing in the sand or using fallen leaves to create a mosaic for example .  Take photos and digitally display these art works.

💻Strive as a centre to be a paperless as possible. Email newsletters and notes rather than having paper versions. Like this email (Don’t print it!)

Let’s work towards introducing more sustainable practices into our centres where we can. It’s an amazing way to introduce the concept of sustainability to the kids, and it also helps our planet. 

Creating a Space Children Will LOVE

How inspirational is your room? 

The way a room is set up can have a huge impact on how children learn. This week we take a look at how to assess your room, and provide tips on how best to make it an incredible learning environment.  We interviewed Megan who has 20 years of experience in the industry and is a Director (as well as a trainer) here at ECT:  

What’s the best time to asses the room?

It’s great to walk into the room when it’s empty. Does it feel cluttered? Is there enough room for the children to move freely? Are there spaces where they can play quietly? 

We also need to be mindful of not providing too many options and over stimulate the room as this can cause problems for some children. 

What questions should you ask yourself and your team when preparing the room?

Ask yourself: 

• How does it look?

• How does it feel?

• Is it a place you’d like to play in?

• Have you taken the children’s individual needs and interests into account?

• Does it feel cluttered or is it open?

How often would you suggest mixing things up? 

Evidence suggests that leaving the same room setup for long periods of time is a great way for children to build their sense of agency. They become confident in how the day is going to look and start to teach each other about how the day will unfold

However children can get bored, but that could be because they haven’t discovered everything available in the room. If  you find areas that aren’t being used, go and sit with the children and see if you can create some new excitement. 

How do you give the children a voice in the room layout? 

Children’s ideas should be brought to life in these rooms. They should feel like they really contributed. Have a planning meeting to talk about where they would like things to be. 

Room setup is so important. It creates an environment that is ready for some enthusiastic play. Include children in the process, they will love playing in a world that they helped create.

How to keep your centre safe and your staff happy

Creating a safe workplace is the responsibility of everyone working there. It’s important that all hazards are reported to employers so they can ensure a safe working environment. 

This week we take a look at the list of common risks and hazards in Early childhood education and care and the positive impact prioritizing safety can have on the workplace.

Common Risks & Hazards

Worksafe Victoria has identified the following common hazards & risks in their ‘Early childhood education and care: Safety Basics’ factsheet

* Lifting, carrying and moving children and objects

* Working at low levels (on the floor or children’s furniture)

* Slips, trips and falls, for example on the floor or children’s furniture

* Standing on chairs and tables to put artwork up

* Communicable diseases

* Work-related stress

* Bullying and harassment

Positive Impacts of a safe workplace.

Prioritising safety will have a positive impact on the workplace and not just in regards to the main goal of less injuries, it can also;

• Strengthen the employee / employer relationships 

• Increase motivation

• Foster a caring environment &  open communication 

• Make the workplace a happy place to work 

• Encourage discussion around OH&S issues

• Minimises injury & claims 

The Detailed Facts

This fact sheet from Worksafe Victoria* provides further information on risk assessment, and the roles and responsibilities of the employee and the employer in maintaining a safe workplace.

*this information covers Victorian workplaces, make sure you seek information relevant to your state.

Cracking the code on hiring and interviewing

Hiring for centres or even looking for a new role can be a really challenging task. 

That’s why we reached out to Gina Rosenberg who, along with her husband Sam has owned and operated childcare centres for over 20 years. Check out the tips below.

First a little background:

Working with children has been a lifelong passion for Gina. 

She believes the key is to really “see“ the child and what it is that the child needs to learn, grow and feel good about themselves. 

“We want them to become incredible contributors to themselves, their family, their community and the wider world, and It’s the people that surround them that guide their future”

The Resume

It’s your very first introduction so be sure to provide a great resume. Include details on the following specific topics to really help supercharge that first impression. 

• Qualifications 

• Work experience 

• Extra curricular / hobbies

• Career Goals.  

• Learning philosophies 

• References 

Pre Interview

Brush up on your theories of child pedagogy, the EYLF, outcomes for children, belonging, becoming and being, as well as the regulations. 

Do research on the centre, learn what’s important to them. It’s very important to show the interviewer that you share the same visions and goals. 

At the Interview

Ensure you are a little early so you’re ready to go at your appointed time.

Key areas of interest:

• A great attitude to teamwork 

• A sense of happiness 

• A willingness to work hard 

• A drive to continue to learn 

Bring with you :

• Certificates for any courses completed

• Police check

• First aid certificates 

• Examples of planning or documentation if you have these

The key areas that are always touched on: 

• Early Childhood Knowledge 

• Working as a team 

• Organisational and interpersonal skills 

• Experience 

• Flexibility and creativity

Examples of questions that might be asked: 

• How would you set up a room?

• How would you supervise a room?

• When running group time what do you like to do?

• How do you approach indoor /outdoor play? 

• How do you deal with a challenging child? 

• Tell me about relationships with families and what you see as important?

• What are your philosophies about children and how they learn?

One moment that has truly stuck with Gina:

“When we opened our first Early Learning Centre in 1996 on our final inspection by the health department, the Inspectors final words to me were,

“Remember your service is only going to be as good as your staff members’”

Behaviour Guidance - The three simple steps

When a child’s behaviour requires addressing it can be difficult for even the most experienced educators. For many of us, Behaviour Guidance may not come naturally or we may need to seek advice and support from management or co-workers and this is ALWAYS ok.  

In fact we encourage it.  

Getting other perspectives on a situation is a great way to formulate a plan of action.

Here are 3 simple steps you can follow when approaching Behaviour Guidance

1. Work as a team.

Supporting the team is the main priority when you have challenging behaviors in a room. Get your room staff together and listen to their concerns. Clarify what concerns they feel are most important.

2. Build Your Plan.

Be clear about a plan and how to support the child and other children in the room. This needs to be implemented as soon as possible. This plan of action needs to be revised and assessed often. 

3. Observe and Evaluate.

After implementing a plan of action, take note of what happens before during and after the event.  Continue these observations for a few days. Bring the team back together for an open conversation about it. 

These 3 steps will ensure your team is on the same page, and the child is getting the support they need. 

Megan Sharman

How does the new Educator Minimum Wage effect you?

The recent announcement by the Fair Work Commission to increase award wages and the national minimum wage by 3% was much needed. ECT welcome this increase as an attempt to show appreciation to this valued sector.

The increase will apply only to those educators receiving their pay rates from the national minimum wage, a modern award or in some cases a registered agreement. Educators who currently receive above minimum wage pay will not officially qualify for the increase unless there is an arrangement with the employer to pass on these increases even for above award wages.

The increase, which came into effect on the 1 July 2019, is definitely one that Educators should take as a small victory that should be celebrated. At ECT we understand how important Educators are and are delighted that their important work remains acknowledged.

The increase was effective from the 1 July 2019 which means Educators should see the increase from the first full pay period that starts on or after 1 July 2019.

To understand more about the increase, please review this document.

Best,

Sam Rosenberg
Director
Early Childhood Training