Like many families and educators across Australia, we’ve been deeply affected by the recent reports about child safety in early learning. At Affinity Education, we want you to know we’ve heard your concerns, and we’re acting.
The safety and wellbeing of every child in our care is - and always will be - our highest priority.
We are a community of parents, carers, educators and teachers who share a deep commitment to the children in our care. That’s why we’ve taken immediate steps to strengthen child safety across all Affinity Education centres, and to ensure that every team member feels supported and confident in creating safe, nurturing learning environments.
Strengthening Child Protection Through Bravehearts Training
We are proud to announce a new child protection training agreement with Bravehearts, one of Australia’s most respected child protection organisations.
This expert-led training will support all Affinity educators and leaders in building the skills, knowledge and confidence to keep children safe, every single day.
Through this training agreement:
- All Affinity employees will complete Bravehearts’ Child Protection for Early Years Educators course via our Learning Hub. It includes case studies, practical tools, and strategies for recognising, responding to and preventing harm.
- All Centre Managers will undertake Creating and Maintaining a Child Safe Environment, a leadership-level course focused on embedding a culture of safety.
- Annual refreshers will ensure child protection remains a consistent, visible focus across our centres.
“The Bravehearts training will give our team real confidence,” says Tanya, a Centre Manager in Townsville. “It will help us understand how to spot risks early, have the hard conversations, and support each other in doing the right thing.”
Our National Child Safety Program: What’s Underway
In addition to Bravehearts training, we’ve launched a comprehensive, multi-layered child safety program across all states and territories, overseen by a dedicated Project Management Office at our Support Office.
Here’s what’s in progress:
CCTV Installations and Upgrades
We’re accelerating the rollout of high-quality digital CCTV systems across more than 250 centres, focused on shared areas to enhance visibility, transparency, and protection.
Child-Safe Environment Audits
We're conducting national audits to identify and address blind spots, including in toileting and nappy change areas, and working quickly to implement improvements.
Supervision and Rostering Protocols
We’re reviewing our rostering practices to further reduce instances of educators working alone with children, aligning with best-practice guidance.
Secure Storage for Personal Devices
While personal devices have been banned in learning environments since 2023, we’re now installing secure lockable lockers to support compliance and reduce distractions.
Digitising Staff Training and Movement Records
We’re transitioning to a centralised, digital tracking system for staff training, onboarding and centre visits, helping us ensure consistent compliance and visibility across the organisation.
Wellbeing and Practice Workshops
We’ve partnered with Phoenix Support for Educators to co-create in-person workshops that support staff wellbeing, reflective practice, and continuous improvement in service quality.
Ongoing Consultation
We’re engaging directly with families, educators, regulators and authorities, inviting ideas, feedback and collaboration to help shape the safest possible learning environments.
Listening, Learning, and Leading
Affinity Education has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of misconduct involving children. We support sector-wide reforms that raise safety standards and protect every child, in every early learning setting.
We know that safety is built on trust. That’s why we are committed to:
- Transparent, ongoing communication with our families and teams
- Full cooperation with regulators and relevant Departments
- Creating safe spaces for our people to speak up, reflect, and improve
If you have a suggestion, concern or question, we encourage you to contact our Family Support Team on 1800 244 532 or via feedback@affinityeducation.
Thank You for Standing With Us
Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, carer or educator, we know these past few weeks have been difficult. You’ve shown resilience, care and courage, and we are so grateful for your trust.
We are in this together. And we will continue working, side by side, to create the safest and most nurturing early learning environments in Australia.