Recent national media coverage has brought renewed attention to issues of child safety within the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. At CatholicCare, these stories are a powerful reminder of the responsibility we all carry to ensure children are safe, protected, and empowered in every space they enter.
We want to take this opportunity to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to child safeguarding across all our programs and services. The safety and wellbeing of children is—and always will be—our highest priority.

A culture of safety and accountability

CatholicCare is a proud Child Safe Organisation. Our policies, practices and culture are built around the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations and the NSW Child Safe Standards, ensuring we maintain the highest level of vigilance, transparency, and care in all that we do.

We support sector-wide reforms that strengthen regulatory frameworks and we’ve actively contributed feedback to initiatives like the Parliamentary Childcare Inquiry to help advocate for stronger protections and better outcomes for children and families.

Robust systems to safeguard children

We have comprehensive systems and safeguards in place to uphold a child-safe environment, including:

• Rigorous pre-employment screening (Working with Children Checks, criminal record checks, interviews and referee checks)
• Compulsory child safeguarding training for all staff, refreshed annually
• Mandatory reporting policies and clear incident escalation pathways
• Regular performance reviews and professional supervision
• Coaching, mentoring, and targeted professional development
• Monthly team meetings to ensure reflective, responsive practice
• Internal and external audits to ensure ongoing compliance with laws, regulations, and best practice
• Dedicated oversight by our Quality and Risk team and the CatholicCare Child Safeguarding Committee

These measures are designed to support a workforce that is educated, equipped, and confident in protecting children and upholding a culture of vigilance and care.

Reassuring families and empowering children

We recognise that recent headlines may cause concern for families. In times like these, reassurance comes not just from policies, but from daily practices—the way our educators, carers and staff show up for children with warmth, attentiveness and professionalism.

We encourage open, two-way communication with families and welcome any feedback, questions or conversations that help strengthen trust and shared understanding. Our Child Safeguarding Policy is readily available, and families can contact us directly or provide feedback via our Contact Us page.

A shared responsibility

Child safety is not the responsibility of one team or one person. It is a shared commitment—held across every level of our organisation, every service we provide, and every interaction we have with children and families.
We thank our staff for their dedication and professionalism, and our families for the trust they place in us. Together, we continue to create environments where children are not only safe, but seen, heard and celebrated.

For more information about our child safeguarding approach, visit our Child Safety page, or contact our team.