Save the Children and Child Wise welcome national child protection principles

The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations represents the adoption of a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

The National Principles, agreed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) will apply to organisations that engage with children.

Save the Children CEO Paul Ronalds said the National Principles were world leading and if implemented would position Australia as having some of the best child safeguarding practices in the world.

“The National Principles place Australia at the forefront of child protection globally if delivered as envisaged by the Royal Commission,” he said.

“Through our social enterprise Child Wise we are providing a strong platform for Australian organisations to put these National Principles into practice.”

“We can never again allow institutions to become complacent in the protection of children, and indeed ignore the abuse of children under their care. We must listen to the voices of children in our society, now and always.”

Child Wise Executive Director Jane French said the adoption of the National Principles were a line in the sand that would make Australian children safer.

“The Royal Commission highlighted the urgent need for strengthening regulation and instilling the right culture if organisations were to provide safe and protective environments for children in their care. This is an important step toward that goal,” she said.

“We look forward to continuing our work with organisations across a range of sectors to ensure their compliance with child safety standards and ensuring the wellbeing of children.”