Facilitating Inclusion and Inclusive Practices

An inclusive curriculum means that educational services will be designed and delivered in a way that ensures all children are included. An inclusive curriculum ensures that all children can participate in all learning opportunities and environments. Inclusive curriculums strive to meet the needs of every child, regardless of their differences. By providing an inclusive curriculum, all children will have the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.

An inclusive curriculum meets the needs of all learners. It is designed to give all children the same learning opportunities and experiences. An inclusive curriculum ensures that all children can participate in all aspects of education, including the classroom, extracurricular activities, and field trips.

In early childhood education, the term curriculum refers to planned and unplanned daily interactions with children. This can include learning from activities, events, and programs provided to children. Curriculum also refers to the learning experiences that are planned and structured to help develop children's knowledge and skills.

An early childhood service will implement a curriculum with a child-centred learning approach. This means that services see children as capable and valued individuals. They provide activities that enable all children to be included, regardless of any diversity within the group. The focus is on catering for everyone and developing activities and experiences that will benefit all children equally.

Inclusion is the direct act of including all others, incorporating policies, procedures and protocols that devolve equal access and opportunity for all children and their families. Inclusion is not static – it requires action. Services that set the tone for equity, inclusion and diversity consider the fundamental differences between each child in their care (their needs, development, culture and abilities), celebrating each child as a unique individual.

Early Childhood Australia1 supports three key dimensions required for inclusion into early childhood services:

Access

Inclusion means ensuring that every child has access to early learning. Inclusive access requires early learning services to be set up and organised around a diverse community. Systemic, service, and individual barriers must be overcome to enable inclusive access.

Participation

Inclusion requires meaningful participation. Inclusive early childhood education and care provides programs in which children are recognised as active agents in their learning. Meaningful participation is grounded in the Early Years Learning Framework’s (EYLF) overarching concepts: belonging, being and becoming.

Outcomes

Inclusive early childhood education and care mean that every child experiences positive learning outcomes in the areas identified in the EYLF. Namely, they have a strong sense of identity, are connected with and contribute to their world, have a strong sense of well-being, are confident and involved learners and are effective communicators.

Source: Villegas, T., 2017, July 11, Inclusion, exclusion, segregation and integration: How are they different? Think Inclusive.

In an inclusive classroom, all students feel safe, respected and valued. They have a sense of belonging and feel like they are an essential part of the class. It is about creating an environment where everyone can succeed. Inclusive teaching approaches ensure that all children are accommodated, and stereotypes are avoided.

Watch these videos to find out more about inclusion:

EYLF Principle 3 – High Expectations and Equity by Starskills: 

UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2020 on Inclusion and Education:

Supporting Inclusion

Children with additional needs may benefit from additional supports, services or adaptations to participate in early years services. ACEQCA also notes that additional needs arise from different causes and that causes require different responses. They also identify that any child may have additional needs from time to time.

ACEQCA has defined children who have additional needs in the Guide to the National Quality Framework 2 as children who require or will benefit from specific considerations or adaptations and who:

• are Aboriginals or Torres Strait Islanders
• are recent arrivals in Australia
• have a culturally and linguistically diverse background
• live in isolated geographic locations
• are experiencing difficult family circumstances or stress
• are at risk of abuse or neglect
• are experiencing language and communication difficulties
• have a diagnosed disability—physical, sensory, intellectual or autism spectrum disorder
• have a medical or health condition
• demonstrate challenging behaviours and behavioural or psychological disorders
• have developmental delays
• have learning difficulties
• are gifted or have unique talents
• have other extra support needs. 

Other areas that could contribute to the increased support needs of children include:

• Refugee children
• Gender-diverse or gender-fluid children
• Children from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI) families
• Children experiencing social, economic or geographical disadvantage
• Children in institutional settings.

Inclusive curriculum decisions ensure that all activities are available and accessible to all children. Educators will ensure that the right resources, equipment and support are in place

Inclusive support	Curriculum Decision
Abilities	Plan for the use of additional staff to support learning activities so that children can receive further one-on-one support or be in smaller groups
Accessibility	Determine the specific requirements for access, aids, or specialised equipment when curriculum planning
Attitude	Ensure all staff provide non-judgemental support and understanding for each child and family’s individual needs and context
Emotional support	Ensure that the learning environment is a safe and supportive place for all children
Modifications/ adjustments	Make individual modifications or adjustments to allow all children to participate
Network	Create collaborative partnerships with others with expertise in inclusion, including other services, professionals and community relationships.
Planning	Services develop strategic inclusion plans and individual inclusion plans and strategies to support the inclusion of children with diverse needs
Resources	Providing additional support to children with additional needs, such as allocating an inclusion support person to work with the child. Ensuring that the child has a rapport with the support person builds their confidence and skills to join in activities and group work
Simplification or extension learning	Can the activity be simplified or extended to suit specific needs?
Variety	Provide a wide range of learning opportunities so all children’s needs and interests are considered and met

Watch 

Watch this video to find out more about inclusion:

•    EYLF Principle 4 – Respect for Diversity by Starskills (10.41 minutes)

Resource 

To read more about inclusion, visit Inclusion Fact Sheet from the Professional Support Coordinators Alliance.

The term ‘inclusion’ has been debated and reworded for many years – alternative terms such as mainstream, reverse mainstream and integration programs were commonly used. Literature reviews note the difference in context for each term, with the current consensus being to use the term ‘inclusion’, especially within early childhood programs.

Inclusion primarily means that children with disabilities or additional needs can utilise the same program and environment as typically developing children. These children will have individual plans for their goals and strategies, like all children in early childhood settings.

More recently, further additions to the terminology have been made, stipulating that all children who require more extensive support or considerations than typically developing children may be represented using the term inclusive education. 

The University of Melbourne cites diversity statistics within Australia in 2014:

Available research demonstrates evidence of the ups and downs of children with varying needs engaging in inclusive services. Between 1980 and 1990, there was a significant spike in children with disabilities attending early childhood settings because of the social and overall developmental benefits for them. Some children require adaptations to the environment to meet their needs.

The downside the research discovered was that most degree-educated educators were trained primarily to work with and support typically developing children and did not necessarily have the expertise or knowledge to handle children with more complex needs. Early childhood services also lacked daily therapists, such as speech pathologists, occupational therapists, or physiotherapists, often available in specialist schools. 

The diversity in Australian early childhood settings is growing every day. As well as cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity, [there are] Australian children that have a disability, meaning that they require assistance with communication, self-care and/or mobility. Other attributes like socioeconomic status, family structure, living conditions and mental, physical and emotional health affect a child’s learning and development trajectories and will affect children in different ways3. Woodhead, 2006, 

The Importance of the Early Years

Being aware of a child’s sociocultural, socioeconomic and ecological systems and contexts supports educators’ understanding of the impacts of the child’s world (e.g. the child’s experiences, circumstances, family, wider community and culture; and the child’s parents’ parenting methods) on their self-concept, self-esteem, development, strengths, needs and behaviour.

The importance of these insights in early years education and care cannot be overstated. They assist educators in creating effective education and care, where the child is considered holistically, and educators understand where the child has come from and what may impact them. Without inclusion, the research shows, the attempts of the service to meet the different needs of individual children will be ineffective.

Watch 

To learn about the importance of a child’s first 1000 days of life, watch the following video.

Think

Consider how having early childhood development and support throughout the 1000-day window of opportunity assists children with inclusion and reaching their full potential in brain development and overall development.

Approaches in Child Development

There is a range of theories and perspectives on child development that educators can use to inform their practice. Studies and research have occurred to understand child development and explain how children mature and grow. Theories have been developed to explain what is being observed and why children behave in specific ways. Theories of child development have continued to evolve. Many child development views arose from views of nature v’s nurture. Early behaviouralist theories (including John Locke, John Watson and B.F. Skinner) saw children develop due to external (or environmental) forces to elicit conditioned responses due to a schedule or either reward or punishment. Therefore, behaviours arose from nurture by adults to shape the child’s responses (behaviours). Whilst others believed in nature as the shaping force, where children were intrinsically motivated, learning occurred by a mostly internal process towards development and maturation.

The early theories lead to five broad categories of child development. 

Theory	Description
Developmental theory	Based on the developmental psychology of achieving milestones as a child matures and grows
Socio-cultural theory	Explains children's development in relation to their community and that community’s belief systems
Socio-behavioural theory	Views a child's development as creating knowledge and gathering experiences when interacting with others
Critical theories	Promote that the educator thinks critically and challenges practices and assumptions about the learning program
Post-structuralist theory	Promotes many ways a child can learn and develop and many perspectives an educator can use to plan work. It sees a balance between many factors, such as the child’s stage of development, their interests and motivation, and the support of caring and committed adults in a well-designed program

Educators can use elements of different current and emerging theories and research about developing children’s cooperative behaviour to build their practice. Aspects can be selected and used depending on the support they are trying to provide or the problem they are trying to resolve. When supporting behaviour development in children towards encouraging and building cooperative behaviours, educators can use aspects of the socio-behaviouralist theories, which emphasise using experiences to shape the child’s behaviour. Cooperative behaviour includes children working with others, being helpful and showing empathy and care for others. It involves building self-regulation and supporting children to use certain behaviours over others because they will result in better quality relationships and the development of self-discipline. There is a recognition of the child's developmental stage and selecting techniques that meet their needs at their stage. Building cooperative behaviour is a process of encouraging the child to have agency over their behaviour and to provide a positive environment where they can recognise appropriate behaviour and be reinforced for using it.

Watch 

Watch this video for more on holistic approaches:

Our children are the rock on which our future will be built, our greatest asset as a nation. They will be the leaders of our country, the creators of our national wealth who care for and protect our people.  Nelson Mandela⁴, 1995

Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory

Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development asserts that learning is largely based on concepts such as memory, self-reflection, motivation, mental planning, goal setting and strategies. This theory falls under the category of developmental theories explaining child development, where children pass through predictable and age-based stages of development. Each stage was a milestone that a child would reach as they grew and matured and was characterised by different behaviours for each stage of development.

Piaget stated that children need to be taught in line with all of these concepts, along with pre-existing schemas, according to their individual development and development of the cognitive ‘tools’ required for learning. This is achieved through a person’s thinking and reasoning processes. However, what if a child processes information and learns differently than typically developing children? 

Watch 

Watch this video to learn more about Piaget’s theory:

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a psychology theory that applies to education. It identifies five stages of human needs that motivate our behaviour. Needs are in order of importance, with immediate needs being met before others can be satisfied. Children are less likely to be successful learners when their basic needs are unmet. Children’s needs can be examined against the hierarchy to identify gaps; for example, breakfast may be provided for children who arrive hungry.

Self-fulfillment needs

• Self-actualisation: achieving one's full potential, including creative activities

Psychological needs

• Esteem needs: prestige, feeling of accomplishment
• Belongingness and love needs: intimate relationships, friends

Basic needs

• Safety needs: security, safety
• Physiological needs: food, water, warmth, rest

Watch 

To learn about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, watch the video:

Activity 1A Maslow’s hierarchy of needs 

List correlations between the hierarchy levels and the inclusion needs of children. Consider how physiological needs and trust, and safety impact the upper levels.

Ensure that you keep notes for future reference, as this information will support your assessments and professional practice.

Bowen’s Family Systems Theory

This theory is in the category of the socio-cultural view of child development. It recognises the importance of the family unit to a child’s behaviour and development. The child is seen in the context of interactions and relationships with family members. To understand the child, they need to be viewed as a part of the family they are connected to as the family is the affecting factor to the person's life. Each member of the family system is attached and connected to the other members, and none can be viewed in isolation from the whole system.

Watch 

Watch this clip to learn more about the family systems theory:

Activity 1B Family systems theory

Explain how the family systems theory supports understanding differences between families, especially those culturally diverse, from a minority group, or marginalised community.

Ensure that you keep notes for future reference, as this information will support your assessments and professional practice.

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Social Systems

Bronfenbrenner’s theory links to the category of child development theories in the socio-cultural category. He focuses on children's relationships in many environments and how these link to the child. He sees child development within a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the surrounding environment, from the immediate and most influential settings of family and school to broad cultural values, laws, and customs. The interaction within these environments becomes more complex as a child develops and matures. 

In education, children’s development should be seen through the lens of the child and their immediate environment, and also consider the interaction and influence of the larger environment.

• Individual: gender, age, health etc.
• Microsystem: family, peers, school, church, health services
• Mesosystem:
• Exosystem: industry, social services, mass media, neighbours, local politics
• Macrosystem: attitudes and ideologies of the culture

Read

Learn more about Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory: Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory from Simply Psychology.

Watch 

To learn more about Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, by watching the video Ecological Systems Theory by Odyssey Institute:

Activity 1C Impacts of ecological systems on children with additional needs 

Consider how the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem and macrosystem could impact educators, service programs and children who may require support or inclusion adaptions. For example, the microsystem and mesosystem could impact children’s social interactions.

Ensure that you keep notes for future reference, as this information will support your assessments and professional practice.

Attachment Theory

John Bowlby’s view is that attachment styles of children form arise from their early interactions with caregivers. The attachment style comes from a continuum of emotion regulation, with anxious-avoidant attachment at one end and anxious-resistant at the other. Secure attachment falls at the midpoint of this spectrum between overly organised strategies for controlling and minimizing emotions and uncontrolled, disorganised, and ineffectively managed emotions.

Read

Read the following articles to learn about Bowlby’s attachment theory and the Circle of Security:  Bowlby’s Attachment Theory from Simply Psychology.

What Is the Circle of Security from Circle of Security International.

Watch 

Watch the video to learn about Bowlby’s attachment theory: Four Stages of Attachment (John Bowlby) by Psychology Unlocked:

Post-structuralist Theories

Theorists such as Foucault, Bourdieu and Canella believe that a child has many ways to learn. Therefore, educators are asked to have a range of methods to promote learning and program development. They see children as having agency and can influence their own lives rather than having teacher-led experiences that the sociocultural theorists believed. Holistic approaches are supported by the National Quality Framework (NQF) within the approved learning frameworks, which were created using empirical research and theory. Holistic approaches build and utilise practices that embrace each child as an individual and focus on strengths-based strategies while supporting and getting to know the child as a whole, aiding the creation of environments that support all children. 

Educators’ roles will be affected by their own experiences and perspective, such as:

Contrasting beliefs

Differing perspectives on child behaviour

An educator’s experiences and background influence their views about acceptable behaviours and how to support challenging ones. Also, their expectations, mood and reactions may contrast with the service’s guided approach to building considerate behaviour in children.

Various families and cultures will view behaviour and behaviour support based on personal values, beliefs and expectations. Variations in culture can mean that children do not know what is expected of them in situations unfamiliar to their culture. For example, demanding a child from an Aboriginal background looks you in the eyes when responding to questioning is not appropriate. In their culture, it is a mark of respect to not make eye contact and look down when spoken to by an elder.

Watch 

Watch the following video by Childcare Experts (2020) on Guiding Children’s Behaviours and the role educators have:

Supportive interventions (positive and sensitive supports by nurturing adults) promote acceptable expectations for children’s behaviour. They guide and help children self-regulate, teaching them to be considerate of others (i.e., thinking about the effect their behaviour/actions have on others) instead of using reward and punishment as a means of control.

The reasons many children require inclusion support are often associated with the child’s biological development. Contributing factors include genetic inheritance, complications from pregnancy or birth, or differences in language and experience, which create linguistic, cultural and social barriers and challenges for children. These factors may cause challenges for children’s ability to interact positively and engage in the curriculum.

Culture

Cultural values and beliefs can impact children in various ways. For example, they can shape how a child behaves, interprets, interacts with the world, and understands expectations. They can also significantly impact a child’s emotional and social development, understanding of social expectations and behaviours, and perception of themselves, including their self-concept and self-esteem.

Watch 

Watch this video to learn more about how culture impacts development: What Is the Most Important Influence on Child Development by Tom Weisner from TEDx Talks: 

Read

Read these articles to learn about the impacts on language and literacy acquisition in children: 

• Literacy as an Outcome of Language Development and Its Impact on Children’s Psychosocial and Emotional  development from the Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. 
• Language Development in Children from Child Development Institute. 
• Language development and literacy resources from the Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. 

Activity 1E Belief systems

Identify THREE behaviours that may be socially acceptable in one society but not another. 

• List the behaviours and societies. Why do you believe each of these societies has these beliefs and systems in place? 
• Record your answer. Try to consider this without your judgement or bias. Ensure that you keep notes for future reference, as this information will support your assessments and professional practice.

Development

The term normal has long been debated in the early years of development, with many professionals reluctant to use the term. However, others acknowledge that normal is simply a baseline from which to work, helping professionals understand which concerns need addressing and when support may be required.

The phrase ‘there is no normal’ is often used by many within the early childhood education and care industry who consider developmental context and holistic approaches essential in assessing a child’s learning and development. Tick-box assessments that label children too restrictively are viewed as unhelpful. For example, in assessing a child who cannot read or write from a culture that teaches its children survival skills (such as hunting, navigating and building self-sufficiency), you would use a different approach compared to a child from a typical urban environment. It would be difficult and unethical to judge which developmental path is better or which child is within the norms of developmental progress.

Within an early childhood education and care service, the staff must understand how each child learns and whether a child needs support or assistance in line with the service program and curriculum. They must also understand how to meet each child’s developmental needs and which strategies support the formation of functional, academic and everyday-living skills.

There may be times when educators need to review the brain and biopsychosocial development of children who have experienced trauma, attachment difficulties and similar emotional regressions. Educators must understand where to start the learning process, as it may not be aligned with the milestone for the child’s age range. Theories such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Erikson’s psychosocial theory may be used as context for the child’s feelings towards trust and their autonomy, safety, security and belonging.

Read

Learn more about how developmental disabilities affect learning: Learning and Developmental Disabilities Research and Resources from Collaborative on Health and the Environment.

Watch 

Watch this video to learn about toxins’ effect on developing  brains: Little Things Matter: The Impact of Toxins on the Developing Brain by Power Of Prevention:

‘Disability’ is a general term that is often considered as incorporating three components:

1. Impairment – which refers to body functions (for example, sensory or cognitive functions) and body structures (for example, organ or limb functions)
2. Activity limitations – which refer to the challenges of carrying out daily activities such as self-care, mobility and learning
3. Participation restrictions – are experienced as the child endeavours to participate within the family and community settings.4 

Activity 1F Assessing development

Read the following case studies and use the tools found at the links provided to answer the related questions:

Kalani - Kalani, four and a half years old, has just been diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder. So you had an idea that there were sensory challenges in play because of Kalani’s overreactions (hypersensitivity) to various sensations such as certain foods, water play and painting.

Use the occupational therapist checklist for sensory processing disorder at the following link to help you identify which developmental areas these observations may fall into:

Sensory Processing Disorder Checklist from The OT Toolbox.

Then answer the following questions:

• What questions might you ask Kalani’s occupational therapist regarding recognising sensory processing disorder?
• Looking at the checklist, how might you support inclusive practices for Kalani?

Jonas - Jonas is also four and a half years old. He has a somewhat limited vocabulary (primarily nouns) and rarely speaks. Without the support of language, Jonas manages social situations in two ways. Depending on the time of day, his mood and the dynamics of the play environment, he either runs away and plays alone or inflicts aggressive behaviours, such as pushing, snatching and hitting on others. His parents do not seem concerned, as he is their only male child and is heavily facilitated at all times, needing minimal language to communicate his needs.

Read about developmental milestones in this link to assist with your answers to this scenario:

Early Years Learning Framework Practice-Based Resources – Developmental Milestones by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). 

Use the information from the link to help you answer the following questions about Jonas:

• Does Jonas meet the developmental expectations for his age? If not, to which age is he closest developmentally?
• How could you support improving his development?
• How could you discover his strengths?
• How could you find out more about his holistic development in the context of his sociocultural
• world?
• Will you potentially require additional support for his inclusion? If so, what kind of additional support?

Ensure that you keep notes for future reference, as this information will support your assessments and professional practice.

Personality and Temperament

Their unique personality and temperament can heavily impact a child's development.

Personalities are made up of a unique set of attributes. Some attributes, such as shyness, humour, empathy, aggression and sociability, are genetically determined; others are influenced by experience and environment, including the person’s family, culture and community. However, children can have personalities that do not appear to reflect their upbringing, such as a loud, social child stemming from two shy, mild-mannered, introverted parents.

A person’s temperament is how they react to their world. Temperaments are typically determined genetically and are relatively unaffected by outside influences. Many factors make up a person’s temperament, but generally, the following three categories are the most helpful when considering a child’s temperament:

1. Reactivity – how the child reacts to different situations in their world (e.g., events, change, social situations, challenges)
2. Self-regulation – how much the child is in control of their emotions and behaviour (e.g., persistence, dedication, focus)
3. Sociability – how comfortable or likely the child is to engage in their social world (e.g., new people, new experiences)

Other helpful factors to consider are a child’s general mood, irritability, activity level and adaptability.

Read

Read the following article to learn about the impact of temperament on development: The Impact of Temperament on Child Development: Comments on Rothbart, Eisenberg, Kagan, and Schermerhorn and Bates. 

Psychologists determined that there are three major types of temperament. However, about 40% of babies have been found to have a combination of the types and cannot be ‘boxed’ into one type.

The types of temperament are:

• Easy – Studies have found that around 40% of babies fall into the ‘easy’ category. ‘Easy’ babies adapt quickly to different situations and people. They typically have regular routines and patterns, such as sleeping patterns, and generally, they positively affect mood.
• Slow to warm up – Between 5% and 15% of babies are described as slow to warm up, meaning it takes them some time to adjust to new people and places – they may withdraw, have a lower activity level and display more negative moods. Many see these babies as shy and sensitive and, therefore, more easily affected by their environment.
• Difficult – Many debate the negative connotations of labelling a baby as ‘difficult’. These children quickly withdraw from or negatively react to new environments and situations. They usually have irregular patterns and routines, and their reactions are intense. These babies often cry but are frequently regarded as assertive and persistent. Studies show they represent around 10% of babies.

Read

Visit this link to learn more about temperament and how different characteristics are affected by each type of temperament: Temperament from SickKids. 

Watch

Watch these videos to learn more about temperament: 

Temperament by Zero to Three.

Understanding Temperament (child mental health) by Standing in the Gap.

Activity 1G Temperament

Part 1

Research how the ancient Greeks used to categorise temperament and define the following ancient Greek categories:

• Choleric
• Melancholic
• Phlegmatic
• Sanguine

Consider how these categories and perspectives can help our modern-day understanding of temperament.

Ensure that you keep notes for future reference, as this information will support your assessments and professional practice.

Part 2

Research and describe the link between psychiatric disorders and temperaments.

Parenting Styles

In the mid-1960s, Diana Baumrind identified four main parenting styles by observing many children and families over time:

• Authoritarian
• Authoritative
• Permissive
• Uninvolved

These parenting styles are still recognised today and are considered an influence on the behaviours and temperaments of children. Many debate this concept, though, especially in cultural contexts. For example, in some cultures, such as in some African communities, no adverse outcomes are associated with an authoritarian parenting style.

The requirements for the four parenting styles are detailed in the following table:

Four Parenting Styles	Supportive  (Parent is accepting and child-centred)	Unsupportive  (Parent is not accepting and parent centred)
Demanding (Expects much of the child)	Authoritative parenting: Parents set appropriate limits and boundaries. Relationships are reciprocal and responsive and have high levels of communication and explanation.	Authoritarian parenting: Parents are controlling, power assertive, lacking warmth, and do not engage much in explanatory communication.
Undemanding (Expects little of the child)	Permissive parenting: Parents are indulgent and reluctant to exert control.	Uninvolved parenting: Parents reject or neglect the child and have no control.

Read

Learn more about Baumrind’s parenting styles at the following link: 4 Types of Parenting Styles and Their Effects from Parenting for Brain.

Read

To learn more about temperament, read the following article and its related articles at the following link: The Nine Traits of Temperament from Michigan State University.

Think

Consider how the different parenting styles could impact and influence the development and temperament of a child.

Watch some of your favourite movies involving families and try to observe which parenting style the child in the film is experiencing. For example, in the Harry Potter movies, Harry’s Aunt and Uncle demonstrate uninvolved parenting when it involves Harry, but what parenting style do they direct towards Dudley? Does Mufasa use an authoritative or authoritarian parent style in The Lion King? In Maleficent, what parenting style does Maleficent utilise with Aurora? In these stories, what do you observe in the child that reflects the parenting style they are seeing?

The Child’s Experiences

One child's experiences will never be precisely the same as another; even siblings’ experiences may be quite different. Nevertheless, each child’s experiences in life significantly impact their lifelong learning and development.

There is a large number of negative experiences that may have detrimental effects on the way a child understands and approaches the world. However, many positive experiences, such as owning pets, exploring nature and going on holidays, can inspire and assist children in understanding their world.

Example

The following are example statements about how a particular childhood experience affected the person’s life:

Children who have experienced prolonged trauma, a single highly traumatic episode or intense or frequent trauma may be impacted in many ways. The concept of trauma is not new. It can create gaps in predeveloped areas and abilities or may ‘stall’ areas and abilities yet to be developed. Maslow regards most trauma as an experience of shock and loss of safety, which affects the lower levels of the hierarchy of needs and destabilises the upper levels.

Watch

Learn about childhood trauma and the brain by watching this video: Childhood Trauma and the Brain - UK Trauma Council by Anna Freud NCCF.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are negative experiences or trauma in childhood. ACEs can impact a child’s entire life, especially their learning. This can also occur through intergenerational trauma, which can biologically predetermine a child to inherit traumas from their biological parents.

Read

Visit these links  to learn more about the impact of trauma in childhood and intergenerational trauma in Aboriginal communities:

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Impacts of Intergenerational Trauma from Victim Support Service. 

The four types of trauma are as follows:

• Type I – When a traumatic event happens once and then stops (e.g. a car accident)
• Type 2 – When a traumatic event happened several times in the past but stopped (e.g. physical and sexual abuse and parental abandonment)
• Type 3 – When a traumatic event continues to happen and does not stop (e.g. discrimination and racism)
• Type 4– When there is cumulative trauma, consisting of the effects of different types of victimisation and trauma

Watch

Watch these videos to learn more about trauma and its impact:

Bessel van der Kolk on the Treatment of Trauma: How Childhood Trauma Is Different From PTSD by NICABM.

Dr Gabor Mate on the Misunderstanding of Trauma by Society and the Medical Industry by Jose Aguirr.

Activity 1H Conditioning and learning

Research the following theories and complete the associated task:

Pavlov’s classical conditioning

List TWO examples of how a child's experiences consistently can lead to a predictable outcome.

Skinner’s operant conditioning

List TWO examples of how a child experiencing either reward or punishment for particular behaviour can have the behaviour either reinforced or prevented.

Bandura’s observational or social learning theory

List TWO examples of how children learn by observing and imitating the behaviours of others.

Ensure that you keep notes for future reference, as this information will support your assessments and professional practice.

Contributing Factors to Behaviours

In addition to what has already been discussed, consider the following factors that can challenge children’s ability to interact positively:

Actions of others	Children will react to others in their environment. While developing social skills, they may struggle to understand the nuances of social interactions and respond inappropriately.
Child’s need for agency	Children seek, at various stages of development, to exert independence, experiment with decision-making and express likes, dislikes, opinions, ideas and suggestions. Their voice needs to be heard to have an increased agency over their needs and environment.
Child’s history	Individual circumstances can influence behaviours. Even though a child reacts in ways that may be interpreted as inappropriate, they may use behaviour as a coping mechanism. Information about the child’s history can provide a clear picture of their needs and areas of development.
Consistency	Support provided to children and expectations about their behaviours must be consistent, predictable and constant. Confidence and agency are fostered when they can respond in consistently modelled and supported ways.
Culture	A child’s cultural practices and beliefs at home and in their community might clash with the practices of the service. The service may not be inclusive in supporting the child’s culture or understanding the family’s child-rearing practices. Depending on the child’s cultural background, attitudes towards behaviours can vary.
The curriculum, practices or the service’s environment	Children feel more secure and exhibit fewer challenging behaviours when a service has a clear, predictable curriculum, practices and environments.
Group dynamics	A child may react negatively to the dynamics in a group if it is too large, too loud or has insufficient structure.
Illness	Children may exhibit more behaviours as they struggle to manage pain and discomfort, such as increased crying, tantrums or other behaviours indicating suffering.
Needs not being met	Most behaviours and challenges to cooperative behaviour can result from unmet needs. Each unmet need can cause a behavioural response that is attempting to communicate it.
No sense of belonging	A child feels valued, and belonging is a critical element of the EYLF and the quality standards. Children who do not feel secure and accepted will exhibit higher levels of challenging behaviours and lower self-esteem. Learning outcomes are also reduced.
Partnerships with families	Lack of collaboration with families can harm children’s confidence in the service and negatively impact needed information and agreement about their care.
Personality	Each child will be unique and have strengths, capabilities and interests that make up their personality, influencing how they react in social situations and learning opportunities.
Recent and current events	Children will naturally react to events that occur to them or around them. These can influence their sense of self, and behaviours might result while they are trying to make sense of them.
Sensory input	The child may react to various sensory stimuli, such as being too hot, cold, or thirsty, or the environment might be too noisy or having too much light.
Group size	Children may react depending on the size of a group, their social skill development or their current state. Making decisions about the group size to suit children’s needs can assist with learning. A large, loud, energetic group can trigger a child's sensory overload and behavioural reaction. Monitor children and make adjustments as needed to avoid adverse reactions.
Stage of development	Stages of development will dictate developmental responses to situations. Self-regulation will develop over time as a child develops. A child with a developmental delay may impact their social and emotional development.
Temperament and attachment	Temperament is unique. Some children have the capacity for stress, and others find it overwhelming. Similarly, a child’s attachment levels can be healthy and linked to developmental stages. A child might experience normal levels of attachment to a parent and low levels to educators, which may trigger behavioural outbursts.

There are many different views on and beliefs about inclusive practices, additional needs and behaviours in children. These differences can be due to the individual’s education and knowledge of the topics and personal experiences and expectations (either social or cultural).

Educators must become advocates for children and their unique needs and behaviours. To do this, educators must critically reflect on their biases, judgements and perceptions, constantly working towards an anti-bias approach to service curriculum.

Bias and Judgement

A bias is when a person has prejudice either for or against a particular person or group, and they naturally sway towards their preference, for example, an educator who spends more time with typically developing children than children with additional needs of one sort or another.

Biases can be learnt – for example, your father and mother both felt strongly that children with additional needs should be in a ‘special school’ – or individually developed over time. Many people form bias typically through their own experiences and belief systems. This can be because they have preconceived ideas about or do not understand the particular person or group.

The first step to achieving an anti-bias approach is to be aware of your biases and how they may affect your role and quality of care and the children in your care.

Consider whether the child or their family is triggering your bias. What has created this bias within you, and why do you feel uncomfortable with the child or their family?

Learn More

Read about cognitive biases: 15 Cognitive Biases Which Influence the Way You Think from TeacherToolkit.

Watch

This video can help you learn to overcome your unconscious bias: How to Outsmart Your Own Unconscious Bias by Valerie Alexander from TEDx.

Expectations 

When it comes to their children, all people have their expectations, including their parents’ dreams and goals. Often these expectations are formed before the child is even born. Sometimes, these expectations are not met due to the child having developmental challenges or a developmental diagnosis, which can be met with grief by the family, who has had their entire expectation system shaken.

In early childhood, many families have expectations for their children and how a service will support them. These expectations may concern:

• How much and what should their child eat
• What should the service be doing to engage learning
• When their child should be toilet trained
• Use of dummies or other comfort items
• Who should their child befriend
• How much time their child spends engaging in art projects
• How their child should behave.

Understanding a family’s expectations early on is essential to find common ground for supporting and educating their child. This helps clarify misunderstandings about what is possible within the service and what the family expects or requests from it. It can also clarify the expectations for the service to meet the requirements of legislation, policy and best practice.

Educators may have contrasting expectations about appropriate behaviours. Everyone’s experiences, beliefs and values influence how they regard behaviour and present a set of expectations for how they will interact with children and how they will expect them to behave.

Educators must be aware of their experiences and collaborate to determine acceptable behaviours for the children in their care. Consistent expectations are essential so children are clear and confident about acceptable behaviour.

As educators are influenced by their own experiences and perspective, they must use reflection to explore contrasting beliefs and different perspectives and agree on consistent interventions. Critical reflection examines various perspectives and insights about theories, experiences and practices. 

Reflection can occur with the educator and other staff to gain opinions and share experiences and insights to improve practices. The reflection can be formal in that it is timetabled or scheduled to ensure it occurs, such as a team meeting or occurs within systems, such as performance-based discussions. It can also be self-reflection for areas you find challenging or uncomfortable. Having identified your own beliefs and experiences, you can then compare these to contemporary theories and practice to build knowledge and extend practice.

Reflection provides a platform for educators to agree on expected behaviours. In addition, it can expose own biases and lead to more open-minded and inclusive practices to guide children’s behaviours.

Activity 1I Forming and managing expectations

Part 1

Critically reflect on your perspectives regarding inclusion and behaviour:

• Why do you think you have formed these beliefs?
• What do you think would cause someone to think differently from you?
• How can you work within the expectations of the service if the service does not meet your expectations?
• How will you be able to meet the needs of the children if these needs do not align with your own professional or personal values and the service’s actions and philosophy?

Part 2

Create THREE strategies for better alignment between the families’, children’s and service’s expectations (assuming the service’s expectations reflect best practice, policy, legalisation and the child's rights).

Ensure that you keep notes for future reference, as this information will support your assessments and professional practice.

Professional development 

An educator's knowledge, skills, and practices influence how much a child learns and how well-established they are to be lifelong, successful learners. As early childhood and education care services are in a period of rapid growth, practitioner commitment to building professional knowledge on inclusive practices is essential. 

Professional development facilitates new knowledge and skill that can be applied to processes, producing evidence-based examples of improved practices.

ACEQCA suggests that services have established plans for the ongoing professional development of practitioners. Such plans can be at the individual worker or team level. So that ownership and accountability to manage their professional development are encouraged, employees should develop their own and the team's development plans. Doing so will:

• contribute to a positive work culture 
• build collaboration
• encourage open communication and sharing.

Professional development can include:

• orientation and induction training
• formal training
• in-service training sessions on agreed topics
• on-the-job training 
• buddying, coaching and mentoring
• engaging in communities of practice
• researching information on particular topics.

Diverse learners 

Just as educators must consider the diverse learning needs of children, it is equally important to consider their own needs when determining learning opportunities and developing learning plans.

Depending on the child’s needs, it may be necessary to build into their learning plan additional support for those who may have barriers to learning. Barriers might include:

• English as a second language
• a learning disability
• a physical disability 
• low language literacy and numeracy skills.

Improving knowledge of inclusion 

You can improve your knowledge of inclusion by:

• exploring examples of best practice in making an inclusive learning environment 
• finding opportunities to foster each child’s sense of self and belonging 
• identifying approaches to help children appreciate how they are different and similar to their peers
• evaluating the notion of fairness
• investigating and applying new knowledge to existing practices on inclusion.

Read

Review the poster at the following link for reasons why inclusion matters: Inclusion Matters from the NSW/ACT Inclusion Agency. 

Every child should be valued as an individual and contributing member of their family, community and society. Inclusion is consistent with humans rights, legislation and the United Nations (UN) Declaration of Human Rights, which states, “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms outlined in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinions, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status”.⁵

Learn More

Read about human rights and the UN’s declarations of rights at the following links: 

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights from the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. 
• Children’s Rights, Simplified from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Australia. 
• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples from the UN. 
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities from the UN. 

Activity 1K: Rights of the child

Review the articles in the Convention on the Rights of the Child from Children’s Rights, Simplified, listed previously.

Write down each article from the Convention related to inclusion, development, support and behaviour.

Ensure that you keep notes for future reference, as this information will support your assessments and professional practice.

Code of Ethics

The Early Childhood Australia (ECA) Code of Ethics provides principles that can guide professionals and services in inclusive practice through the adoption of the following core principles of the code:

These core principles require a commitment to respect and maintain the rights and dignity of children, families, colleagues and communities.

• Each child has unique interests and strengths and the capacity to contribute to their communities.
• Children are citizens from birth with civil, cultural, linguistic, social and economic rights.
• Effective learning and teaching are characterised by professional decisions based on specialised knowledge and multiple perspectives.
• Partnerships with families and communities support shared responsibility for children’s learning, development and well-being.
• Democratic, fair and inclusive practices promote equity and a strong sense of belonging.
• Respectful, responsive and reciprocal relationships are central to children’s education and care.
• Play and leisure are essential for children’s learning, development and well-being.
• Research, inquiry and practice-based evidence inform quality education and care.

While there are common principles, each stakeholder has different responsibilities to ensure the inclusion of every child.

Along with human and child rights and legislation, the ECA Code of Ethics helps to mould the policies, programs and curriculum, philosophies and practices of children’s services across Australia.

Learn More

Read the ECA Code of Ethics: Code of Ethics from ECA.

Activity 1L: Working within ethical guidelines

Using the table, write examples of how you could work in line with each principle from the ECA Code of Ethics to guide and facilitate inclusion and behaviour support with children.

Download the document here.

Ensure that you keep notes for future reference, as this information will support your assessments and professional practice.

The National Quality Standard

Inclusion and behaviour are covered in multiple areas of the National Quality Standard6 (NQS), including those relating to the following areas:

Educational program and practice	Curriculum is established under Quality Area 1 – Educational programs and practice, which sets out the requirements for programs and practice to be child-centred and stimulating and maximises each child’s learning and development. Standard 1.1 Program – the educational program enhances each child’s learning and development, using the approved learning framework, being child-centred and providing program learning opportunities. Standard 1.2 Practice – educators facilitate and extend each child’s learning and development, including intentional teaching, responsive teaching and scaffolding and facilitating child-directed learning.
Physical environment	Quality Area 3 – Physical Environment is safe, suitable and provides diverse experiences that promote children’s learning and development. The physical environment impacts how a child will learn and includes indoor and outdoor areas, safety, lighting, noise levels, amount of space, level of supervision, strong smells, and temperature.  Element 3.1.1 – Outdoor and indoor spaces, buildings, fixtures and fittings are suitable for their purpose, including supporting every child's access. Standard 3.2 – The inclusive service environment promotes competence and supports exploration and play-based learning. Element 3.2.1 – Outdoor and indoor spaces are organised and adapted to support every child’s participation and to engage every child in quality experiences in built and natural environments. The physical set-up will influence how welcoming and engaging the space is for the children. It also influences how the children can move within the space and from one to another. Features of the physical environment will nurture positive relationships and a sense of belonging for children.
Relationships with children	Quality Area 5 – Relationships with Children, particularly Standard 5.1, focuses on building and maintaining respectful and equitable relationships with children. Element 5.1.1: Responsive and meaningful interactions build trusting relationships between educators and children and engage and support each child to feel secure, confident and included. Element 5.1.2: The dignity and the rights of every child are maintained at all times. 5.2.2 – Each child is supported to regulate their behaviour, respond appropriately to the behaviour of others and communicate effectively to resolve conflicts. Creating secure, respectful, and reciprocal relationships requires commitment, mutual respect, and cooperation. The benefits to the child will be lifelong and will influence and shape their sense of self and wellbeing. Respectful relationships create safety.
Collaborative partnerships	Quality Area 6 – Collaborative partnerships with families and communities recognises that collaborative relationships with families are central to achieving quality outcomes for children. Partnerships are based on active communication, effective consultation, and collaboration. In particular, Standard 6.1, Supportive relationships with families and Standard 6.2: Collaborative partnerships. Element 6.1.2: Parents’ views are respected, their expertise is recognised, and they share decision-making about their child’s learning and development. Element 6.2.2: Access, inclusion and participation for children in the program are promoted through effective partnerships. Services must endeavour to build a strength-based approach to working collaboratively with families where the child is kept as the focus of the relationship. A family member, comfortable and happy about the service, will reflect this to the child, who will, in turn, learn to reflect this in their attendance.

Approved Learning Frameworks

Read

You can view the approved learning frameworks at the following links. Each framework includes behaviour and inclusion guidelines and requirements:

• Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) from the ACECQA. 
• My Time, Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia (MTOP) from the ACECQA.
• Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) from Victoria State Government (Vic) Department of Education and Training.

Law, Regulation and Legislation

Read

Visit the following links to read the NQF and the National Law and Regulations:

Guide to the National Quality Framework from the ACECQA. 

National Law and Regulations from the ACECQA. 

Think

Revisit your descriptions from Learning Activity 1M of how you could meet the NQS standards, and consider which regulations and laws you would comply with to meet them.

In this section, we will review the relevant legislation for this cluster.

Discrimination

Discrimination law is legislation designed to prevent discrimination against particular groups of people (or protected groups or classes) and stop unfair treatment due to a characteristic such as age, gender, race, disability, intersex status and sexual orientation.

The Australian laws for anti-discrimination include:

• Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986
• Age Discrimination Act 2004
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992
• Racial Discrimination Act 1975
• Sex Discrimination Act 1984

The Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Cth) describes the obligations of education and training providers to ensure access for and the participation of every student, including those with disabilities.

Read

Read about discrimination laws in Australia at the following link: A Quick Guide to Australian Discrimination Laws from the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Read

Read about the Disability Standards for Education at the following link: Disability Standards for Education 2005 from the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment. 

Activity 1N Discrimination laws

Read the guide to Australian discrimination laws mentioned previously and outline ONE area regarding inclusion and behaviour needs within services for either:

• Children 
• Their families 
• Both children and their families

Then explain how the area relates to children or their families in the following worksheet.

Ensure that you keep notes for future reference, as this information will support your assessments and professional practice.

Equity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunity

Equal opportunity relates to workplace inclusion and anti-discrimination but also includes how we treat, support and build relationships that demonstrate the attitude and actions needed to achieve equity and fairness with colleagues, families and children.

Service principles and best practice guidelines should cover the following:

• Inclusion
• Diversity
• Equity
• Access
• Child protection and custody/court orders
• Rights and responsibilities.

Read

Review more about inclusion and equity in Victoria from Equal Opportunity from the Department of Education and Training (Vic).

Privacy and Confidentiality

The Privacy Act 1988 outlines a set of minimum standards for a service’s information management, including handling, storage, maintenance, use, and disclosure. The information must be securely stored and not shared without express consent or only with non-identifying information for statistical purposes.  

The Australian Privacy Principles (APP) arise from the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).  The principles cover how personal information can be used and disclosed. These principles set out the processes for open and transparent management of personal information, including a privacy policy to guide staff actions and inform families. In addition, these include information about the collection of solicited personal information and receipt of unsolicited personal information, including giving notice about the collection of information.

These principles include:

• Maintaining the quality of personal information
• Keeping personal information secure
• The right for individuals to access and correct their personal information.

Some information must be shared even if the family does not consent.  For example, notification of suspicion of abuse or neglect or communicable disease.  The requirement for this information to be passed onto authorities should be explained to families at enrolment and be included in information packs provided to them, enabling them to make an informed decision about joining a service. 

The National Law and early childhood education best practice set standards for storing information, sharing information, and handling sensitive and confidential information and conversations.

Service policies

Services will have policies that support all aspects of the NQS and the childhood service regulation. For example, concerning this unit, services will have policies for:

• relationships with children
• collaborative partnerships with families and communities
• educational programs and practices
• regulating behaviours
• privacy and confidentiality. 

Relationships with Children

The policy ensures respectful and fair relationships are developed with children and built with other children and adults. 

Relationship with children policies could include:

• The Service recognises that positive and secure relationships with educators provide an environment where children can learn, develop and thrive.
• Respectful and equitable relationships are developed and maintained with each child.
• Responsive relationships are built with each child.
• Educators are attuned to children and spend time building relationships with them.
• Educator’s interactions with children are meaningful.
• Educators acknowledge that each child has their abilities and needs.

Collaboration with Families Policy

The service will have clear standards and policies that support collaborative partnerships. The policy framework sets the expectations for families and the staff's requirements for building collaborative partnerships.

Collaborative relationships with families policies could include:

• The service sees families and their primary partners in the care of children.
• The service respects the rights and responsibilities of families.
• The service is committed to genuine collaborative relationships with families where their knowledge and insight are valued.
• Communication opportunities to share and be involved in decision-making are promoted.
• The service provides families with information on standards and policies, programs, child participation and community resources.

Education Program and Practice Policy

Services will have policies to ensure that education programs and practices are consistent with NQS Quality Area 1 – Education program and practice requirements. The policy sets out actions for curriculum and pedagogy that facilitate a child’s early learning, development and well-being.

Education Program and Practice policies could include:

• The service develops a curriculum that is play-based and child-centred to enhance each child’s learning, development and well being
• Curriculums are based on professional judgements for the design and delivery methods of programs
• Curriculum decisions are based on individual children’s knowledge, development, skills, strengths, ideas, culture, interests and abilities.
• The child’s voice and their capacity to be decision-makers are acknowledged.
• Educators promote each child’s agency to make choices and decisions that influence their world.
• The service uses the Planning Cycle to make curriculum decisions.
• Critical reflection occurs to review that the curriculum is organised and designed to maximise outcomes for the child. 

Physical Environments Policy

Services will have standards, policies and procedures for the physical environment to ensure they meet all the legal requirements. The set up and maintenance of the environment includes how it is structured and safety requirements. Environments establish a positive learning space and cater to a variety of needs and use. The space should be accessible for all children, including children in wheelchairs or with mobility needs.  

The space should be safe, comfortable, child-orientated and welcoming for all children, for example: 

• Using a range of seating options, such as beanbags and mats for a reading corner
• Creating visual displays or decorating walls with colourful pictures to appeal to young children and help create a sense of belonging
• Colour-coded or pictorial signs, and written language signs, around the service to help children develop a sense of their environment and accommodate children with language delays or neurodiverse learning such as Autism.

Adaptions to the environment to support individual children can include ensuring a child who uses a wheelchair is at the same level as others, e.g., activity can be moved to a table, sensory gardens, and vegetable gardens have beds raised for wheelchair accessibility. Children with visual impairments are provided with braille cards of the colours, 

Ensuring that the space remains inclusive will require regular reviews to ensure the needs of every child are always met. 

Behaviours Support Policy

The service policies and procedures will guide educators in determining which approaches to apply when promoting cooperative behaviours in children in line with the purposes and principles of the service. This will set out procedures for supporting children’s positive interactions and behaviours.

Behaviour support policies could include:

• Objective: The service ensures that every child is treated fairly. Their behaviours are supported consistently, fairly and equitably to support the development of age-appropriate behaviour and self-regulation skills.
• Rationale: The service supports children to learn how to behave in a socially acceptable manner is a developmental task that relies on adult support to guide, and model desired behaviours and set limits appropriate to the age, stage and individual developmental needs of each child.

Framework: 

• The child's need for agency (freedom of choice).
• Behaviour limits that reflect the age range of children and focus on children's safety, respect for themselves and others, and respect for the physical environment.
• The use of positive language by educators to promote positive behaviour.
• Age-appropriate, simple, clear expectations for behaviour, required behaviour, and simple behaviour consequences.

Pedagogical Practices:

• The development of specific behaviour-management plans as needed in consultation with the child's family.
• Behaviour management strategies may include ignoring the behaviour (if appropriate), redirection, discussion, acknowledging or praising desired behaviours, and using natural and logical consequences.
• Encouraging children to use their words when conflict arises. For example: 'Stop, I don't like it when…'
• Offering children choices so they can be engaged in managing their own behaviour.
• Where appropriate, teaching appropriate behaviours. For example: asking that children share equipment.

Confidentiality policies

Services will have policies for managing the privacy and confidentiality of information gathered and held on children using the service. Confidentiality and ethical requirements for collecting, sharing, storing and disposing information. You can view a sample policy for a child care service. The policy sets out a framework that facilitates the privacy and confidentiality of children's and families’ personal information.  

Privacy policies in early childhood education will cover the following:

• documentation and records are kept secure 
• permission is obtained to share information with others 
• the family’s details are kept private
• the purpose of the information being gathered is explained to the family
• the information gathered is used for the purpose it was collected
• educators use caution when referring to other children’s names/details /information
• a private place is available at the service so that sensitive information can be gathered and shared confidently and respectfully
• educators seek permission to share information with others, e.g., Can I let the supervisor know this?
• services respect the confidentiality of the family’s personal stories
• documentation and records are stored securely in paper form or electronically
• process or backup data containing personal information is stored on computer servers that may be located overseas, including through third-party service providers 
• the service will take all reasonable steps to protect any personal information they hold from unauthorised use or disclosure.

Read

Read and review the Little.ly Early Learning Centre Philosophy, Policy and Procedure related to collaborative partnerships with families and communities, relationships with children, educational program, practice and physical environment and behaviour support.

Little.ly Early Learning Centre, a simulated childcare centre. Access information and policy and procedure documents associated with Little.ly.  This can be done by logging in to the Educator Hub on Little.ly's website with the following credentials: Username: SOE Password: earlychildhood

• CR1 Interactions with Children and Families – Policy and Procedure
• ML6 – Educational Program and Practice Policy and Procedure
• Indoor safety checklist
• Outdoor safety checklist
• CR2 Behaviour Support – Policy and Procedure
• ML10 Privacy and Confidentiality Policy

Activity 10: Privacy and Confidentiality

Review the Little.ly Early Learning Centre confidentiality and privacy policy on the Little.Ly website, then answer the following questions:

• What are the main points of the policy?
• How would you describe the links to legalisation, law and regulations?
• How will the service's confidentiality and privacy policies be implemented?

Consider the children from Learning Activity 1M. Identify the information, documentation or conversations from those case studies that may be sensitive to these policy requirements. 

Ensure that you keep notes for future reference, as this information will support your assessments and professional practice.

Disclosure

Read

Review the poster for responding to disclosures of abuse at the following link: Responding to Children and Young People’s Disclosures of Abuse’ from the Australia Institute of Family Studies (AIFS). 

Every service will have a procedure to follow in the case of a child disclosing information regarding abuse. This will be either an individual disclosure policy or within the child protection policy. According to the AIFS, children are most likely to disclose abuse to a family member or a friend of a similar age, which could include a friend from their local children’s service.

Note

In an early childhood service, the staff are not equipped, nor is it within their job to counsel or investigate potential abuse. Staff should be supportive listeners who provide immediate comfort and support the child to be protected from further harm. A supportive listener can significantly impact the child seeking support, helping them recover from their trauma by finding trust and help in another adult. Investigations will be the role of a child protection worker.

If in doubt, always contact your local child protection office to request their advice on the next steps.

National Quality Standard 2.2 informs on areas of child protection. Therefore, you should assess protocols and practices relevant to protecting children at all times.

Read

Read more on disclosure guidance at the following links: 

• Responding to Children and Young People’s Disclosures of Abuse from the AIFS. 
• Report Child Abuse in Early Childhood from Department of Education and Training (Vic). 
• Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect: Information for Service Providers from AIFS.
• Responding to Incidents, Disclosures and Suspicions of Child Abuse from Department of Education and Training (Vic).

 Activity 1P Disclosure procedure

Complete the following table in the worksheet, indicating the steps to follow in the case of disclosure and the state/territory legislation and National Regulations relevant to disclosure and abuse in children’s services.

Download the document here.

Ensure that you keep notes for future reference, as this information will support your assessments and professional practice.