YMCA Victoria (also known as the Y) welcomes the release of the Rapid Child Safety Review and the Victorian Government’s commitment to implement all 22 recommendations for the early learning sector.
As a not-for-profit operator of 21 early learning and occasional care centres and 39 Outside School Hours Care services in Victoria, which all meet or exceed National Quality Standards, the Y is an early adopter of these reforms to provide the safest possible environment for every child.
YMCA Victoria CEO Carolyn Morris said:
“The safety and wellbeing of children continues to be our number one priority at the Y. We’ve long gone above and beyond in this space and many of the recommendations are already part of our practice. I know further work is underway with our Y Australia colleagues on this critical issue and response to continue to lead in this space.
We strongly support reforms that strengthen protections across early childhood education and care, including improved Working With Children Checks, mandatory training, the establishment of an independent regulator, and stronger safeguards in supervision and recruitment."
Executive Manager Early Learning Rachel Mackay said:
“Our highly-trained educators are dedicated to best practice. This means rigorous recruitment and background checks, mandatory child safety training for all staff, strong supervision practices, proactive audits, and a culture that empowers children and families to speak up.”
We are proud of our leadership in this critical area and will continue to go beyond compliance, working closely with government and sector partners to ensure every child is safe, supported, and able to thrive.
The Y looks forward to working with the Victorian Government and sector leaders to help shape the future of child safety in early education and care.
