In a world where safeguarding begins with everyday interactions, teaching consent to toddlers and preschoolers isn’t just possible—it’s essential. Long before children understand the word “consent,” they can learn what it feels like to be respected, heard, and safe. These early lessons lay the foundation for lifelong boundaries, empathy, and self-worth.
The following is a list of cultural and special events that are taking place in August 2025. This should help you to plan and organise upcoming events and celebrations for August 2025.
In an outcome met with collective relief, Victorian health authorities have confirmed that all 2000 children tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in connection with alleged pedophile Joshua Dale Brown have returned negative results. The tests were conducted as a precaution after Brown, charged with over 70 offenses involving children aged five months to two years, was found to have worked across 23 childcare centres over an eight-year span.
A recent national study has laid bare a quiet crisis undermining the heart of early childhood education in Australia: childcare educators spend less than 30 percent of their day in focused interaction with children. That’s less than 2.5 hours in an eight-hour shift spent on the very purpose of their profession.
In July 2025, Australian early learning services faced a reckoning not only with child protection protocols—but with their values. The phrase “They’ve sent a male”, reportedly uttered as a relief educator arrived for shift work, revealed how fear has been weaponized in ways that quietly exclude men from the workforce.
This guide distills the heart of the Early Years Learning Framework into clear, actionable reference points for educators. Grounded in evidence and everyday practice, it highlights the guiding principles and intentional actions that support every child’s learning, well-being, and sense of belonging. Whether used in planning, reflection, or team training, these prompts and insights help ensure that pedagogy is not just compliant but deeply connected, culturally responsive, and emotionally attuned.
Victoria is set to roll out a state-based Early Childhood Workforce Register this August—but sector advocates are raising red flags over critical exclusions that may undermine the very purpose of the reform.
Under a new bill, centres that seriously breach standards will have one month to rectify issues before losing taxpayer-funded subsidies. While framed as a grace period to avoid sudden shutdowns, critics worry that such leniency could prolong children’s exposure to risk.
In the wake of devastating safeguarding failures, the Albanese Government has introduced legislation granting federal authorities new powers to respond to serious breaches in early childhood settings. Centres that pose harm to children or flout standards may face public exposure, funding loss, and closure—all within a 30-day compliance window.
As part of their ECEC Professional Learning Program, TAFE NSW will be conducting a free webinar on the Circle of Security. Join Karthika Viknarasah, an experienced early education leadership expert, for an insightful webinar exploring the principles of the Circle of Security. This session will delve into how secure relationships support social competence, emotional regulation, and healthy stress response systems.
Here’s a curated set of critical reflection questions designed to provoke deep thinking around educator-to-child ratios in early childhood settings.
