“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is Relationships between educators and children – Service philosophy
Standard 5.1: Respectful and equitable relationships are maintained with each child.
When families, children, educators, and community members read your service’s Statement of Philosophy, is it unquestionably clear that children’s safety and wellbeing, welfare, rights and best interests are at the centre of everything you do?
Your service’s Statement of Philosophy is more than a regulatory requirement, it is the ethical backbone that guides daily practice, decision making, and relationships. When created intentionally, it communicates the service’s deep commitment to children’s safety and wellbeing, rights, equitable opportunities, and inclusive attitudes that honour each child’s dignity. Your philosophy should clearly reflect these commitments so that your service’s values translate seamlessly into observable practice.
Children experience the world through the relationships and environments we create. When your philosophy explicitly states the service’s commitment to equity and social justice, it:
-
- reinforces the dedication to create and sustain a child-safe culture
- clarifies expectations for educator behaviour to build respectful, safe relationships with every child
- explicitly rejects any behaviour that may be considered inappropriate or that could cause harm
- strengthens a shared understanding of rights-based pedagogy and practice
- ensures consistency in decision making across the service
- supports new educators, students, and families in aligning with the service’s values
- sets the standard during reflective practice and quality improvement planning
- serves as reassurance for families that your service actively works to counter bias, discrimination and exclusion.
When reviewing your philosophy, reflect with the team to consider how it communicates your service’s commitment to fostering respectful and equitable relationships. Does the philosophy communicate the service’s deep commitment to:
-
- Putting children first in every decision:
- ensuring the rights and best interests of children are the paramount consideration of the service and underpin all practices
- ensuring children’s safety, welfare and wellbeing comes before financial decisions of the service
- each child is respected without discrimination or bias and has a voice.
- Social justice, diversity and inclusion:
- Value for diversity: Include a clear statement and details of how the service values diversity and is committed to fostering an inclusive environment. This could include recognising the importance of cultural, linguistic, gender, family dynamic and ability diversity and inclusion.
- Cultural responsiveness: Highlight the importance of understanding and respecting different cultural perspectives, practices and traditions within the service community.
-
- Equitable access and participation:
- Equal opportunities: Articulate the service’s dedication to providing equal opportunities and maintaining the rights of every child, regardless of their background or abilities.
- Addressing barriers: Describe the service’s proactive approach or strategies to identify, reduce and manage barriers that may prevent or limit children to participate in all aspects of the program.
-
- Supportive and adaptive learning environments:
- Tailored support for inclusive environments: Highlight the importance of personalised learning approaches that cater to the unique needs of each child.
- Inclusive educational program: Commitment to collaboratively developing and delivering an educational program that reflects and respects the diverse experiences, interests, abilities and identities of all children.
-
- Engagement with families and communities:
- Family partnerships: Communicate the importance of, and commitment to building strong, respectful, reciprocal partnerships with families, recognising them as essential contributors to their child’s education and wellbeing.
- Community involvement: Detail the Service’s approach to engaging and building connections with the local and broader community, to enrich the learning environment and support inclusion.
-
- Continual improvement and reflective practice:
- Continuous improvement: Detail the Service’s commitment to continual improvement through ongoing professional development for educators and staff to enhance their knowledge, awareness, understanding and implementation of inclusive and equitable practices.
- Reflective practice: The Service’s commitment to regular critical reflection on pedagogical practices, routines and policies and procedures to ensure they align with the principles of inclusivity and equity.
Resources:
Reviewing your service philosophy
Guide to the NQF- Standard 5.1- Relationships between educators and children
UNC on the rights of the child
Revising the service philosophy
Within System7 go to Quality Area 5/ Modules 1- 4 to submit self-assessment notes and if required, open a QIP issue if you identify any areas of improvement.
The Childcare Centre Desktop has a range of resources to assist services with positive interactions and Service philosophy. These include Interactions with Children, Families and Staff Policy, Philosophy Development and Review Procedure, Antibias and Inclusion Policy, Gender Equity Policy and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links:
Childcare Centre Desktop – Childcare Centre Desktop
National Quality Standard – QA 5/ 5.1- Relationships between educators and children
Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW)- S. 3A, S. 5AA
National Regulations – 155, 156, 168
System7 Module – QA5/ Modules 1- 4
If you have any questions, send us a note via the Contact page here!
