Child Safe Standards

What are the Child Safe Standards?

Victoria’s Child Safe Standards are a set of mandatory requirements to protect children and young people from harm and abuse.

The Child Safe Standards (the Standards) commenced in Victoria in January 2016. After six years, we have seen how the Standards improve safety for children and young people.

Changes have been made to make our Standards even stronger. The new Child Safe Standards came into force on 1 July 2022 and organisations now need to comply with these new Standards.

Standard 1 

Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.

Your organisation and staff must:

• welcome Aboriginal3 people, their culture, and their rights 

• understand how this helps Aboriginal children to feel safe and well 

• not allow racism and have rules and actions to deal with racism 

• assist Aboriginal children to express their diverse identities, customs, beliefs, and languages 

• help Aboriginal children and their families to be involved in your organisation 

• make sure they feel culturally safe 

• have policies and systems that show you have done these things