National Child Protection Week Letter from the Chief Commissioner
Dear Parent/Carers of our Guiding Community,
Thank you for entrusting us with the care and guidance of your daughters when they attend Guiding activities.
The second week of September marks National Child Protection Week across Australia. This year’s theme, Every Conversation Matters: Shifting Conversation into Action, is a timely reminder of the importance of creating safe, inclusive and supportive environments for children and young people.
At Girl Guides we are committed to providing a brave space where guides feel confident to explore, learn new skills and grow.
The accompanying Girl Guides Australia Child Safe Child Friendly Resource for Parents and Carers offers a snapshot of our Girl Guides Australia Child Safe Child Friendly Framework. It outlines our national policies and guidelines and provides examples of how these are put into practice – how we turn words into action.
Girl Guides Australia has zero tolerance of child harm, abuse and neglect. Our safeguarding practices are aligned with the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. They are also informed by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts’ global ‘Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy’ and shaped by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Guiding worldwide empowers girls and young women to speak up for themselves and others – an essential part of building a child safe culture.
We invite you to review the resource and explore the Child Safe Child Friendly section of the GGA website for more information. If you have any feedback, concerns or questions, please feel free to speak with your local Guide leader or contact your Girl Guide head office.
Thank you for being a part of the Girl Guides Child Safe, Child Friendly community.
Helen Reid
Chief Commissioner for Australia