Australia

Safe Kids Australia/Kidsafe is the leading Australian non-governmental, not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to preventing unintentional childhood injuries. In 2001, Kidsafe became a member of Safe Kids Worldwide.

The Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia was first established in 1979, with its state divisions established soon after. In 1993, the Foundation officially adopted the name Kidsafe, and in July 2003, it assumed a federated structure, with each of the state branches becoming independently incorporated associations. Presently, Kidsafe's state branches include:

• Kidsafe ACT (Inc)
• Kidsafe New South Wales (Inc)
• Kidsafe Hunter Valley Region
• Kidsafe Northern Territory (Inc)
• Kidsafe Queensland (Inc)
• Kidsafe South Australia (Inc)
• Kidsafe Tasmania (Inc)
• Kidsafe Victoria (Inc)
• Kidsafe Western Australia (inc)

Each year about 350 Australian children (aged 0-14 years) are killed and 60,000 are hospitalized because of unintentional injuries. In order to reduce childhood unintentional injuries, Kidsafe designs programs and interventions to create awareness of current issues that affect children’s safety and provide practical support to families to improve the safety environment for children. Kidsafe’s programs cover risk areas such as road safety, drowning, fire and poison prevention.

Programs of Safe Kids Australia/Kidsafe include:

• Pre and primary school road safety
• Primary school water safety pilot program – a joint program with Royal Life Saving Society
• Mobile restraint service extension to Dickson, Queanbeyan, Gungahlin and Tuggeranong
• Kidsafe shop front
• Family day care and child care guidelines redevelopment
• Publication of new or revised safety materials

Highlights

Kidsafe Works to Implement National Road Rules for Stringent Mandatory Restraint Standards

In January 2008, the 7th Amendment to the National Road Rules was agreed upon nationally.

Considered to be a progressive implementation, the new National Road Rule requires that all children remain in car seats or booster seats until they are seven years old and in the back seat. The National Road Rules sought to be implemented progressively through the eight states and territories in Australia during 2008 and 2009.

Kidsafe initiated a Pre and Primary School Road Safety program focused on providing parents and families with information to help make children safer and to support safety-related curriculum activities at schools. The program included the distribution of brochures about car restraint standards and usage (including the implementation of new National Road Rules and standards), free restraints checks at schools, distribution of related fact sheets and newsletter articles and extension of Kidsafe Community Talks program into school parent communities.

Kidsafe Develops Playground Advisory Unit

As playground-related injuries continue to be a major cause of injury to older children, Kidsafe has continued to develop a playground advisory across Australia. The Playground Advisory Unit is the principal agency for playground safety and development in NSW. It is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of personnel from a variety of professional backgrounds, including landscape design, child development and information services

The unit aims to increase the number of safe, creative play environments that comply with Australian Playground Safety Standards. In order to promote participation in recreational activities, the Unit provides a technical, safety and design information service for all groups in NSW.

These services include one- and two-day inspection and maintenance workshops; on-site inspection services; technical advisory and information service on all aspects of playground safety and development; design, construction and maintenance advice on safe play areas; and evaluation of playground plans produced by other agencies.

Kidsafe Develops and Publishes Revised Guidelines for the Safe Development of In-Home Childcare

Kidsafe Act participated in a national Kidsafe program that works with state and territory regulators and providers to develop a nationally consistent set of guidelines for the safe operation of family day care providers in-home and child care centers. These guidelines will be implemented in each state and territory within the individual regulatory framework in place locally.

Kidsafe National is in the process of completing a review of child care guidelines in each state and territory for childcare facilities. Regulations have been compiled and reviewed by each Kidsafe office so that they can submit best practice recommendations to state regulators regarding the management of safety issues in child care facilities.