National Child Protection Week
September 3 – 9 is National Child Protection Week. This week is set aside each year to promote a safe and supported life for every child, now and into the future. The overarching message for the week is ‘Every child in every community needs a fair go’ with this year’s theme being ‘where we start matters’.
There is a booklet full of activities for you to do with your child to show us how we can build the safest communities possible for our children. You can find it on the NAPCAN website https://www.napcan.org.au/get-involved-2023/ Can I encourage you to spend time over the following weeks talking through these activities with your child as they suggest websites, organisations and practical ways to ensure our kids are safe or know what to do when they are not feeling safe.
Maggie Dent, an Australian parenting guru, speaks about National Child Protection Week in this short video about how all parents can be connecting with their kids and looking out for each other:
It is vital that we reach out to others as we care for our kids. As the saying goes, it takes a village to bring up a child and we do not need to do it alone. There is no shame in asking for help. We are very fortunate here in Melbourne as well as in Knox Council area to have many organisations that can offer help and support to us during our parenting journey. The Orange Door, Knox Infolink, Parentline, the Raising Children website, the esafety website, the Childhood Foundation, Kids Helpline, 1800 Respect, Relationships Australia, Anglicare ParentZone to name but a few. If you would like any further information about these supports please look them up online or get in touch with me at school.
Sarah McIntosh
Student Welfare