Children's Health

Childcare

Starting childcare can be an emotional experience for parents as well as for the child. Every parent wants their child to be safe, secure and feel loved. It is important to remember that when looking for childcare, there are many factors to consider.

There is no perfect age to begin childcare. Each child is different.
Make a shortlist of centres and arrange a visit to each of them.
Read the centre’s policies and procedures.
Ask about the programs they run.
Ask about the staff and staff ratios.

For more information, visit

For information on Council operated childcare, contact Children’s Services on 9840 9840.

Child Abuse

It is every child’s right to feel safe at all times. Deliberately causing injury or harm to a child is a crime. Types of abuse can be neglect, physical, sexual and psychological and can occur over a short or long period of time. Statistics show that it is a person familiar or trusted by the child rather than a stranger who will abuse them.

Keeping children safe is the responsibility of parents, schools and the community

If you suspect that a child is at risk, call the Docs Helpline on 132 111. For more information, visit

Bullying

Bullying is when one or more people deliberately try to hurt, scare or threaten another person. It includes physical abuse, teasing, name calling and stopping someone from doing something or going somewhere.

Children and teenagers will show some signs of unhappiness if they are being bullied at school. This can include avoiding school, not wanting to talk about school, bruising and problems sleeping.

Everyone has the right to learn in an environment without harassment and bullying. It is also the responsibility of schools to ensure that they provide a safe and supportive environment. In NSW, schools have policies to deal with bullying. If your child is being bullied at school, talk to the teacher and principal about it.

SPEAK OUT: young people against bullying DVD & Workshop Guide is a resource for schools, youth and community organisations and other groups providing workshops for young people. This resource has been developed by young people involved in the Holroyd Youth Peer education Project. It focuses on educating children and young people aged 9 – 18 years about bullying and aims to prevent further bullying incidences in the community by empowering victims and bystanders to speak out against bullying. For more information on the SPEAK OUT Resource, contact Holroyd City Council’s Youth Services on 9840 9912.

For more information on bullying, visit

Child Protection

Holroyd City Council actively opposes child abuse and supports child protection and abuse prevention.

It is Council's belief that child protection is a broad responsibility for both Council and the general community.

It involves:

Minimising the possibility of child abuse occurring
The training of personnel in best practice to ensure a safe environment for children
Raising the awareness of the general community about child protection
The immediate response to allegations of reportable offences/abuse and the implementation of thorough employment procedures

Council believes one of the most effective ways of preventing child abuse is to increase the awareness of the general community. This website aims at providing the general community with information outlining Council's commitment to child protection.