In child-related work, safety begins with trust and trust must be backed by verification. The NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian has issued a clear reminder: a Working With Children Check (WWCC) number alone is not enough. It could be expired, barred, or even fabricated. The only way to ensure a WWCC number is valid is through official online verification.
The following article provides information on why verification matters, how to do it, and what it means for your organisation’s safeguarding responsibilities.
Anxiety in young children often shows up in subtle ways ummy aches, restlessness, clinginess, or emotional outbursts. These feelings, sometimes described by children as having “the worries” or a “bubbly tummy,” can be overwhelming and difficult to articulate. As educators, we play a vital role in helping children recognise and regulate these emotions in safe, supportive ways.
The following article provides a simple, hands-on strategy that engages children’s attention, breathing, and body awareness—bringing calm and connection back into the moment.
The NSW Office of the Children's Guardian has developed a SAFE Series Protective Behaviors Program, which helps early childhood educators teach protective behaviours to children in their care. After the session, your service will receive 2 sets of SAFE Series books featuring our loveable SAFE Series stars Sam, Andy, Fiona, and Eve to help adults start conversations with young children about personal safety.
How To Handle Big Feelings Posters are a supportive visual resource designed to help children recognise, name, and regulate intense emotions. These posters can be displayed in quiet corners, wellbeing zones, or used during group discussions to normalize emotional expression and build self-regulation skills. By making big feelings visible and manageable, they foster emotional safety, resilience, and a shared language for navigating challenging moments
Learning About Feelings Posters focuses on a different emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, or excitement and features visual cues that help children identify and express their feelings.
These posters can be used in a variety of ways: as part of a daily check-in wall, during storytime discussions, or in quiet corners to support self-regulation. By making emotions visible and relatable, they foster empathy, language development, and emotional safety.
Effective pedagogical strategies in early childhood education are grounded in developmental theory, child agency, and emotionally intelligent practice. Here’s an overview of the most impactful approaches currently shaping high-quality early learning. The following article provides information on: Core Pedagogical Strategies with Examples, Supporting Diverse Learners with Examples, Family Engagement as Pedagogy with Examples and more.
In early childhood education, our relationships with families are foundational but they’re not always easy to navigate. When a child’s behaviour begins to impact the safety or wellbeing of others, educators often find themselves caught between professional responsibility and fear of offending parents. Over time, many have grown hesitant to speak up, even as biting, pushing, and dysregulation become more frequent in toddler rooms.
Below are practical, emotionally intelligent ways to initiate these conversations with families—rooted in respect, partnership, and a shared commitment to every child’s wellbeing.
Loose parts play is a powerful, open-ended approach that invites children to explore, create, and express themselves using everyday materials. It fosters autonomy, imagination, and problem-solving and can be tailored to your environment and the developmental needs of your children.
In the whirlwind of ratios, regulations, and relentless responsibilities, early childhood educators often forget the most vital resource in any service: themselves. That’s why Wellbeing Wednesday has become more than a calendar quirk—it’s a lifeline. Here’s a restorative reboot for your weekly wellbeing ritual, designed with emotional intelligence, trauma-informed practice, and authentic educator voice at its heart.
The Mindful Exercises Posters are a restorative visual resource designed to support educator wellbeing in early learning environments. These posters are ideal for display in staff rooms, planning areas, or wellbeing corners, offering educators micro-moments of reflection and emotional reset throughout the day.
World Mental Health Day is a vital moment for educators—not just to support children’s wellbeing, but to reflect on their own emotional health, professional identity, and the culture of care within their settings. The following article provides workplace ideas to support Educator's wellbeing.
World Space Week is from 4th - 10th October. To help educators join the global celebration, a variety of free themed activities are available for download. These resources are designed to be engaging, educational, and easy to use across different age groups, making space exploration accessible and fun for all.
World Mental Health Day, on October 10th, provides an opportunity to nurture emotional wellbeing, resilience, and empathy in early childhood settings. For children, mental health isn’t about diagnoses, it’s about feeling safe, seen, and supported. The following article provides information on Why It Matters in Early Childhood, Activities for Young Children and more.
