Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Last year during National Child Protection Week, the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) asked us to consider the importance of conversations as powerful tools to keep children and young people safe and well. We joined Napcan calling for all Australians to explore and talk about the many ways that conversations matter for children, young people, and their families.

This year, NAPCAN are inviting us to turn those words into action - recognising that while dialogue is essential when it comes to raising awareness, challenging harmful norms and sparking new ideas, real change is only possible when we turn those words into meaningful action.

At Positive Pieces Education, we agree that conversations between children and their advocates, whether it be a parent, caregiver, educator or social worker, can truly change the trajectory of a child’s journey through life. And given the somewhat recent tragic findings of abuse in early childhood settings across the country, we are on a mission to ensure no child is left vulnerable. Our youngest learners are capable of developing skills that help protect them from abuse, which is why we now include child protection lessons and resources in our Second Step Early Learning kit.

In addition to the universal and comprehensive evidence-based social emotional learning program, Second Step Early Learning kits now include Child Protection resources including 5 themes:

1. Ways to Stay Safe

2. The Always Ask First Rule

3. Safe and Unsafe Touches

4. The Touching Rule, and

5. Practicing Staying Safe

These lessons help our little ones from an early age, develop the skills necessary to feel safe and well in their communities. Resources also invite educators to have vital conversations with families about evidence-based ways to keep their children safe from abuse and neglect.

We’d love to have a conversation with you to explore ways in which the Second Step Early Learning social-emotional learning and child protection resources could help you take action to benefit the young people in your care.

In addition to providing comprehensive, evidence-based instruction around child abuse prevention, our partners at Committee for Children, creators of the Second Step Program, also offer actionable resources to parents to have the important conversations with their children from newborns to 11+ years of age, to help them stay safe from abuse. Take action today and visit hotchocolatetalk.org to find and share resources that will help keep our young ones safe from harm.

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Positive Pieces Education is the Australian and New Zealand publisher of the Second Step social-emotional learning program. Learn more