Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework for ECEC – early adopters round 2

Early childhood education and care providers and services are again invited to be among the first to use the new Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework and its tools by expressing their interest to participate in round 2 of the early adopters program.

08 October 2024

The 10-week program starts on 4 November 2024 (schedule below) and will support services with tools and resources to recognise, embed and facilitate culturally safe practices in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings.

Every Aboriginal child should feel safe and welcome walking into any ECEC service.
–Gudjagang Gulgul, Aboriginal ECEC Advisory Committee

About the Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework

The Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework has been developed to support the ECEC sector to provide early learning environments that are culturally responsive, safe and welcoming for Aboriginal children and their families.

Culturally safe services support the participation of more Aboriginal children in early learning and ensure that all children attending ECEC services learn, understand and value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s culture and history.

The Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework has been co-designed in response to broad sector consultation. It offers clear expectations, standards and guidance for the ECEC sector.

A suite of tools and resources will support services to develop, maintain and improve culturally safe environments that nurture culture, language, kinship and identity.

The Journey: Watch the video to find out about the Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework for early childhood education and care and the journey to get where we are today.

Transcript

Narrator: For over 65,000 years in Australia,

Children: Ooooh!

Narrator: the first students and educators have gathered and continued traditional learning.

For millennia, knowledge flowed. Not in the classrooms we know today, but through the Country we walk on. The greatest teacher – the world around us. The animals, the plants, the sky, the water. Woven knowledges that intertwined with our Lore and Kinship. But those connections were severed with the impacts of colonisation.

Families were torn apart and new ways of educating were introduced, worlds apart from our tradition. From our Country. We continue to learn, to practice and to care for the Country that teaches us. We remember and we reawaken. As cultural education continues, our connection to the land strengthens. Our knowledge is deepened. As a student, as people, as a nation. We glow brighter together.

The NSW Department of Education is committed to developing an Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework, the first of its kind for early childhood education and care settings.

The department has yarned with many. Aboriginal, non-Aboriginal early childhood education subject matter experts. But most of all, we've actively listened. We've listened to communities, Elders, mums, dads, Aunties, Uncles and children. There have been reports and findings, draft frameworks, webinars and further consultation. A lot of work has been done, but this is just the beginning. The findings show the openness and willingness of the sector to learn, do better and create environments for Aboriginal families and communities to flourish.

There's work to do in many parts of the country. Our findings reveal a need to end racism and discrimination. There is a crucial need for relationship building, and given our nation's history, there’s sometimes a lack of trust between Aboriginal parents, carers and the sector. Early childhood education, informed by Aboriginal values, histories and cultures, creates culturally safe environments. Creating a place where Aboriginal children feel proud and heard.

A space where all children can benefit from Aboriginal culture.

Children: Ooooh!

Narrator: Let's educate ourselves. Let's connect. Let's inspire. Together, we can build a brighter future for all our children.

Aboriginal cultural safety. A benefit to all early learners.

Your chance to be among the first to use the Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework

The free, 10-week early adopters program will give a limited number of ECEC services the opportunity to be among the first to engage with the Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework for ECEC tools and resources. Early adopters will be a part of this important work to improve awareness, build collaborative relationships with families and community and uplift culturally safe and responsive environments for Aboriginal children, families and staff in ECEC.

This is an opportunity for services that are ready to take the next steps in their cultural safety journey – services that want to support the participation of more Aboriginal children in early learning, and ensure all children attending ECEC services learn, understand and value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s culture and history.

Presented over 10 weeks in 2 sets of 5-week blocks commencing 4 November 2024 and 17 February 2025, the structured program will cover weekly topics to support you and your team to recognise and facilitate culturally safe practices in ECEC settings.

Services will have access to new tools and resources each week, and regular opportunities to meet with other early adopters to reflect, share their experience and ask questions.

This is a wonderful opportunity for all types of ECEC services to become champions of change for Aboriginal cultural safety in early learning.

Get involved

Applicants may be any type of ECEC service but must be willing to commit to a 10-week program delivered in 2 sets of 5-week blocks commencing 4 November 2024 and 17 February 2025 (see schedule below) and be prepared to challenge their thinking, learn and grow.

Places in the early adopter program are limited.

Applications close Tuesday 22 October 2024.
Successful applicants notified Friday 25 October.

Key dates and commitments

The program will be delivered in 2 sets of 5-week blocks, with a break over the summer.

Part A - Starter kit

4 November to 6 December 2024

Introducing services to foundational elements of the Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework. Resources are focused on a new core need each week:

video
learning guide
poster

Services will have the option to attend a weekly community of practice / check-in and Q&A sessions where they can share their experiences with other early adopters and ask questions about the resources.

Activity	Time	Commitment
Information session introducing the Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework and reflective tool.	10 am Mon 4 November	1 hour webinar
Week 1 – Celebrate	Mon 4 – Fri 8 November	1 hour
Community of practice Q&A drop-in session (online)	1 pm Fri 8 November	1 hour (optional)
Week 2 – Acknowledgement	Mon 11 – Fri 15 November	1 hour
Community of practice Q&A drop-in session (online)	1 pm Fri 15 November	1 hour (optional)
Week 3 – Identify	Mon 18 – Fri 22 November	1 hour
Community of practice Q&A drop-in session (online)	1 pm Fri 22 November	1 hour (optional)
Week 4 – Connection	Mon 25 – Fri 29 November	1 hour
Community of practice Q&A drop-in session (online)	1 pm Fri 29 November	1 hour (optional)
Week 5 – Open day	Mon 2 – Fri 6 December	1 hour
Community of practice Q&A drop-in session (online)	1 pm Fri 6 December	1 hour (optional)

Part B – Quality practice pack

17 February to 21 March 2025

Using deep listening and yarning as Aboriginal learning styles, services will build their knowledge and understanding of the core needs explored in the Starter kit. Resources are focused on a new core theme each week:

video
podcast
guided discussion notes
journal

What	Time	Commitment
Week 1 – Core need 1	Mon 17 – Fri 21 February 2025	1 hour
Community of practice Q&A drop-in session (online)	1 pm Fri 21 February 2025	1 hour (optional)
Week 2 – Core need 2	Mon 24 – Fri 28 February 2025	1 hour
Community of practice Q&A drop-in session (online)	1 pm Fri 28 February 2025	1 hour (optional)
Week 3 – Core need 3	Mon 3 – Fri 7 March 2025	1 hour
Community of practice Q&A drop-in session (online)	1 pm Fri 7 March 2025	1 hour (optional)
Week 4 – Core need 4	Mon 10 – Fri 14 March 2025	1 hour
Community of practice Q&A drop-in session (online)	1 pm Fri 14 March 2025	1 hour (optional)
Week 5 – Core need 5	Mon 17 – Fri 21 March 2025	1 hour
Community of practice Q&A drop-in session (online)	1 pm Fri 21 March 2025	1 hour (optional)

Enquiries

For any enquiries about the Aboriginal Cultural Safety Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care please contact:

ECEC Information & Enquiries
ececd@det.nsw.edu.au
1800 619 113

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