We empower children every day

In Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), empowering children and respecting their voices has long been central to creating a nurturing and safe environment. Building on this principle, Edithvale Family and Child Center continually strengthens its commitment to child safety by incorporating these values ​​into its daily routines.

Here, children are not only heard, but empowered, and educators are equipped with the tools and reflective practices needed to meet the challenges of daily education and care.

A Vision is taking shape

Charlotte Hood, the Center’s Senior Coordinator, and Gina Courtney, Education Lead, frequently discussed ways to better integrate the Child Safety Standards into their practice. Through their participation in the recruitment process, they realized there was a gap in educators’ understanding of these standards and how they were reflected in daily interactions with children.

Drawing on their vast experience in early childhood education, they set out to close this gap. Collaborating with colleagues Jayda Tresidder and Samantha Eastwood, the Edithvale team Child Empowerment Package — It is designed to complement, but not replace, existing child safety standards or body safety programs. The package offers practical tools to empower children and strengthen the centre’s approach to safety.

Partnership with Australian Catholic University

To strengthen the foundation of the package, the team partnered with the Australian Catholic University’s Institute of Child Protection Studies (ICPS). ICPS played a key role in the initial resource planning workshop, helping the Edithvale team identify the resources to be developed, their target audience, and the order of creation. This process shaped the basic structure of the Child Empowerment Package.

The Edithvale team also sought feedback from ICPS and review of all draft resources and training materials to ensure alignment with the best available research. Gina Courtney highlighted how ICPS’s research expertise strengthened the foundation of the project and believed that collaboration was crucial to the success of the Child Empowerment Package.

“ICPS’s participation in the project ensures consistency with evidence-based research and practice and has strengthened the fundamental foundation of the project, which directly increases our knowledge and capacity to design resources that improve the safety, well-being and empowerment of children, young people and families. said Gina.

(Package resource poster developed in collaboration with ICPS: Foundations of Empowerment. Provided by Edithvale Family and Children Centre)

He also explained that the package is designed to provide educators with practical, hands-on tools to empower children. It includes training modules on key topics such as empowerment fundamentals, interactions and communication, environment and design, resources, relationships, and mentoring colleagues and families.

Incorporating child empowerment into daily practices

Through a series of training sessions, the pack explores what empowerment looks like for children and reveals the role of educators in promoting this in everyday practice.

Educators are encouraged to think critically about how they can further support children’s autonomy by thinking about real-life scenarios. These scenarios provide a platform for educators to share their experiences with their peers, offering practical strategies and insights on how empowerment can be incorporated into daily practices.

(Educators participate in a training and reflection session. Provided by: Edithvale Family and Child Centre)

For example, when it comes to children’s eating habits, educators can empower children by providing choices and encouraging participation, which helps build autonomy.

As Charlotte details, in these situations there is often “some power struggle going on with the child, and so they are unsure of what boundaries are there, what they can and can’t do, and what will be seen as acceptable practices and what they will accept.” Something that seems too powerful for kids.”

Through training sessions and open discussions, educators developed a stronger understanding of empowerment and helped them build confidence in their daily practice.

“To see (staff) almost have that lightbulb moment – ​​‘oh, what I did was good’ – is reassuring. This confirms that they (what they did) were right, because the result is always to put the child first. That’s our main goal: to make sure children feel comfortable, safe and supported in our environment,” said Charlotte.

Resources and reflective tools

The team also designed a variety of resources to complement the training modules. Posters were created for each module to be displayed in the rooms. Educators were provided with a reflection sheet to reconsider their learning concepts. Additionally, a reflective learning tool was developed that included prompts and guiding questions for educators to consider in their practice. At the end of the reflective tool is an audit checklist for educators to review and improve their practice. Together, the tools and training sessions provide a holistic approach to supporting educators’ learning journey.

(Reflection page designed to further support educators’ learning. Supplied: Edithvale Family and Children’s Centre)

Practical tools to encourage children’s problem solving

Throughout the training sessions, many educators emphasized the importance of empowering children to solve problems and resolve conflicts with their peers.

“This isn’t just about educators and children, it’s a peer-to-peer issue,” said Caroline Brownlees, City of Kingston Family and Children’s Center Team Leader.

As a result, center staff created conflict resolution toolboxes for children.

(Problem Solving Set developed for use by children. Provided by: Edithvale Family and Child Center)

“When they conflict (with other peers), instead of an educator coming in and taking control of the situation, (we) empower kids to find solutions,” Caroline said.

Positive impact for everyone: A safe and empowering environment across the service

The Child Empowerment Package not only equips educators with tools to support children’s autonomy, but also reinforces the importance of listening to children’s voices and respecting their actions.

“It really supported educators in understanding that they don’t need to feel like they’re in control of everything. “This is a real shift (for them) in knowing that the relationships they build together and the practices they do together allow children to be confident in the decisions they make,” Gina emphasized.

(A child choosing a strategy from the Problem Solving Kit. Provided by: Edithvale Family and Child Centre)

Charlotte added: “Some of our kindergartners, when they see some conflict, will tell their peers to pick up the problem-solving box and choose a strategy to use. This really shows their understanding of what’s going on and their confidence in making their voices heard, sharing the problem and how they can solve it together.”

This article was written by Yao Cheng of the Australian Early Learning Association and is reshared here with permission. Use this link for the original.