Responding to Current Concerns: Why Community and High-Quality OOSH Services Are Leading the Way in Child Safety
The recent Four Corners investigation into Australia’s childcare sector has been confronting for families and educators alike. It has drawn national attention to serious failings in systems meant to protect children — a reminder that compliance alone is never enough.
At Network of Community Activities (Network), we believe that safety must mean more than protection from harm. True safety is built through trust, stable relationships, skilled educators, and cultures that promote children’s rights and wellbeing.
Community-based and high-quality Out of School Hours (OOSH) services are uniquely positioned to provide this kind of safety. They are grounded in community connection, transparent governance, and a deep understanding of children’s developmental and emotional needs.
Our members demonstrate daily that safety and wellbeing go hand-in-hand. Through consistent staffing, meaningful engagement with families, and a commitment to ongoing professional learning, they are creating environments where children feel secure, respected, and free to grow.
This holistic approach is reflected in our Safe Creative Play™ pedagogy, which extends the idea of safety beyond physical protection to include emotional safety, inclusion, self-expression, and belonging — essential foundations for wellbeing.
“Parents should know there are exceptional educators working in community-based OOSH services who take child safety personally, not just procedurally,” says Network’s Coordinator Joni Dunn. “Our members lead through care, connection, and professional integrity — that’s the culture of safety children need.”
How Network members and the OOSH sector are leading:
- Embedding the NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian Child Safe Standards and ACECQA Quality Area 2 in everyday practice.
- Maintaining transparent governance, stable staffing, and reflective supervision to strengthen protective factors for children.
- Investing in continuous Learning and Development so educators remain confident in child-safe, trauma-informed, and wellbeing-focused practices.
- Applying Safe Creative Play™ principles to foster environments where play, creativity, and collaboration become pathways to safety and resilience.
Our Commitment and Call to Action
Network continues to advocate nationally and in NSW for reforms that prioritise:
- The wellbeing and professional standing of the OOSH workforce.
- Collaborative leadership and psychologically safe workplaces for educators.
- Access to up-to-date professional learning that embeds the Safe Creative Play™ framework and the latest research on child safety, social-emotional learning, and educator capability.
Together, we are building a sector that protects, empowers, and uplifts — where every child and educator can thrive.
