National Child Protection Week September 2 - 8, 2018

This year, National Child Protection Week runs from September 2 to 8 and many organisations in your community will be running events to promote it. The enduring message of Child Protection Week each year is that, ‘protecting children is everyone’s business.’ All Australians are encouraged to ‘play your part’ in working together to keep children safe.

To build stronger communities which create safer environments for children, we need to recognise that Child Protection Week isn’t something we do for a week and then move on to the next thing. Child protection week is a catalyst to reinvigorate our efforts to protect children which is something that needs to happen every day of the year.

There are lots of things individuals can do that contribute to creating a safer environment for children – even if you don’t have children of your own. This could be the most practical things like looking out for signs of abuse and neglect, taking those warning signs seriously and reporting your suspicions to an expert. It could also be more general things such as being kind to children and parents, being involved in your local community, or avoiding judgement or blame and instead considering how you can help.

For more information about National Child Protection Week, to register and event you’re running, to download their promotional posters or to learn more about what you can do, visit the website for the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN).