Beyond the headlines: Uniting OSHC to keep kids safe

Over the past week, our sector has been under the spotlight and not for the reasons we would hope. Recent media reports, government responses, and community concern around incidents of harm in ELC have shaken many of us, and whilst these events didn’t happen in OSHC, like ELC, the impact will be felt for some time.

It’s uncomfortable. It's confronting. And for those of us working every day to create safe, joyful, inclusive places for children, it can feel deeply personal.

But now is not the time to turn away. Now is the time to rise.

We can’t ignore the impact that failures in child safety have on families, on children, and on the broader trust in our sector. Every child deserves to be safe, seen and respected. Every family should feel confident that their children are in caring, capable hands.

But rash decisions, blanket assumptions, and reactionary policies risk painting our whole profession with the same brush, instead of empowering real change.

My fear is that in the rush to “fix” things, the system forgets to include the very people who live the solutions every day: you,  the OSHC professionals, leaders, and educators who show up day after day to put children first.

Let’s be clear, this is a turning point, whether we like it or not.

And like any turning point, it offers two paths:

1. A path of defensiveness and division, where we point fingers, feel under siege, and hope it all blows over.

OR

2. A path of collective leadership, where we come together to raise the standard, share what’s working, and build an OSHC sector that is safer, stronger, and more respected than ever before.

I choose the second path.

Child safety is not just a policy, a poster, or a training session. It’s a culture. And culture is built, not by one person or one policy but by teams, by services, by an entire sector walking in the same direction.

This is a call for:

• Leaders who don’t just wait for compliance, but champion best practice.

• Educators who speak up, reflect deeply, and never stop learning.

• Services that share their knowledge and support their peers.

• Families and children who are heard, respected, and at the centre of it all.

We are stronger when we stand together. When we lift one another. When we don’t compete but collaborate. When we replace blame with brave accountability.

What Can We Do Right Now?

Here’s where we start:

• If you haven't already, study the Child safe standards for your state or territory.

• Review your child safe policies with fresh eyes and bold honesty.

• Listen to children and families about what safety means to them.

• Audit your environments and staffing not just for compliance, but for culture.

• Support your team through training, reflection, and shared responsibility.

• Reach out to other services share what works, ask for help, build networks.

I’ve created a free, comprehensive child safe audit tool and children’s reflection checklist to support you in this work. Not as a tick-box exercise but as a tool for real transformation. This will be available for download shortly.

Let’s Lead the Change

We are not defined by the worst moments of our sector. We are defined by how we respond to them.

Let this be the moment that OSHC steps into its strength. Let’s be the sector that leads with integrity, not fear. With courage, not compliance. With unity, not blame.

Our children are watching. Let’s show them what safety, strength, and leadership look like.

Together, we’ve got this.