Statement of Commitment to Children and Child Safety

Play Matters > Statement of Commitment to Children and Child Safety

Play Matters Australia (PMA) is committed to the safety of children and young people across the organisation.

All children and young people have a right to feel safe and to be safe at all times. PMA will not tolerate any abuse or neglect of children or young people involved with our programs.

PMA programs are designed for children and their families. This requires all children to attend with a parent or caregiver where the child always remains in their primary care. For programs delivered within kindergarten settings; children remain in the primary care of their educator.

PMA will work with educators, parents, caregivers, and their children (as appropriate to their age and developmental needs) regarding decisions that affect them while attending our programs. PMA is alert to the broader landscape of risks to children perpetrated by others, including family and non-family members. PMA design policies and procedures to minimise those risks.

PMA is committed to creating environments that are child safe and child friendly. PMA maintains a culture of openness and transparency. PMA takes a preventative and proactive approach to the safety and wellbeing of children.

In order to achieve these commitments, PMA will implement the requirements set out in the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework. These are:

1. Annual risk assessments are undertaken in relation to PMA activities to identify risks to child safety, and appropriate risk mitigation strategies are implemented;
2. Establish a compliance and training system that is robust and well-communicated to all staff;
3. Adopt the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations;
4. Publish an annual statement of compliance with the Framework.

The manner in which PMA implements the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework is set out in related PMA Policy documents.

In addition to creating child safe spaces for children, PMA makes the following statement of commitment to Children:

PMA celebrates children's sense of wonder, playful spirit of adventure, and the creativity, imagination,

and curiosity that drives children to investigate, experiment, and engage.

PMA advocates for children's dignity, respecting their agency and unique capacities to be, do, and know in

ways that are authentic to who they are.

PMA supports children's deep connectedness to people, culture, experiences, and their world.

PMA is honoured to play a role in children's lives and learn from their humour and grace.

Statement of Commitment to Children and Child Safety

Important Play Matters Policies

“The true object of all human life is play.”