National Child Protection Week is a campaign occurring annually across Australia to raise awareness of child abuse prevention.

Concern for the safety and well-being of all, including children and young people, is part of our call to universally respect and value people.

UCAs National Safe Church Unit works in partnership with Synods and the Assembly to provide tools and resources to help everyone across the life of the Church to play their part in answering this call.

There are ways you can get involved and resources to use in your worshipping community:

Take part in Child Safe Sunday on September 5th, 2021

  • Worship resources, including PowerPoint slides and talking points
  • A colouring-in sheet for children
  • A prayer.

Encourage children and young people to get creative using the theme: I feel safe when … Create individually or as a group in any size and medium:

  • Younger children can use the colouring-in sheet
  • Encourage children and young people to send us a photo/scan their artwork for sharing in UCAs social media and publications or in a 2022 safe church e-calendar. Details on the website at this link: https://safechurch.uca.org.au/join-us-for-child-safe-sunday-and-other-activities/
  • The art activity can support meaningful conversations about UCA being a safe church
  • The National Safe Church Unit website Resources page has tools to support conversations, such as Tools for Listening, and the UCA National Child Safe Principles posters (in multiple languages) located under the Congregations & Presbyteries tab.

Join the conversation: online forum for Ministry agents: We are a safe church when …
Join John Cox, Director, National Safe Church Unit and Sarah Lim, National Director, UCA Redress Ltd for a discussion about what we are doing as a Church to safeguard children and young people; trauma-informed response; and grooming:

From Monday 6th September NAPCAN (National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) will also host a number of awareness raising seminars. As was the case last year, these will be offered online. Find out more here: https://www.napcan.org.au/get-involved-2021/