Our commitment to culturally safe environments

The co-regulators of the Child Safe Standards in Victoria have released a statement on Child Safe Standard 1.

The release coincides with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day. This year the day's theme celebrates the journeys children take as they grow. Each step guided by culture, community, and connection to Country.

The Child Safe Standards exist to protect children and young people from harm. Child Safe Standard 1 asks organisations to create culturally safe environments. This means they must:

• respect Aboriginal children and young people
• value their unique identities and life experiences
• support their connection to culture and Country.

The VRQA regulates the Child Safe Standards for education providers in Victoria. The joint statement with our co-regulators, highlights our shared commitment to Child Safe Standard 1.

As regulators of Child Safe Standard 1, we jointly commit to ensuring our organisations are:

• addressing systemic racism in our own organisations
• creating organisational cultures that attract, support and are culturally safe for Aboriginal staff at all levels
• ensuring staff have awareness of cultural safety and regulate in a way which recognises the strengths and resilience of Aboriginal people and responds to issues which impact the Victorian Aboriginal community and organisations
• working together for the regulation of cultural safety, especially where more than one regulator is involved in regulating an organisation.

Read the full statement on Commissioner for Children and Young People (CCYP) website. Find out more about how we regulate Child Safe Standards for education providers(opens in a new window).

When Aboriginal children can be themselves and feel proud of their culture, they are stronger and safer.