Child safety

We are committed to the health and wellbeing of all children and young people. We want children and young people to be safe, happy and empowered. We have zero tolerance for child abuse, and all allegations and safety concerns will be addressed quickly, seriously and consistently. 

We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from multicultural communities. We are committed to providing a safe environment for children with disabilities. We are committed to recognising and including the identity of LGBTIQ+ children. 

We are aware of our requirement to prioritise the safety of children we engage with during our face-to-face or online electoral education sessions, and children who accompany their parents or guardians to voting centres. 

Statement of commitment to child safety

The Victorian Electoral Commission is committed to the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

• We want children and young people to be safe, happy and empowered.
• We want to excite the curiosity of young people and encourage them to understand and explore their democracy in a safe and respectful manner.
• We encourage the participation and empowerment of all children and young people, but especially in the actual conduct of elections under appropriate supervision.
• We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe environment for children with disabilities.
• We are committed to recognising and including the identity of LGBTIQ+ children.
• We are cognisant of our requirement to prioritise the safety of children that we engage with during face-to-face and online electoral education sessions and who accompany their parents/guardians to voting centres.
• We have zero tolerance of child abuse. All allegations and safety concerns will be addressed quickly, seriously and consistently, in line with our policy and procedures.
• We have a legal and moral responsibility to contact authorities when we are worried about a child’s safety, which we faithfully observe.
• Our organisation is committed to ensuring staff are appropriately trained and educated on child abuse risks as they relate to the VEC and its operations.
• Our organisation has robust human resources and recruitment practices in place for all core and election staff.
• We have a specific policy, procedures, training and checks in place to support our leadership team and employees to achieve these commitments.

If you believe a child is at immediate risk of abuse phone 000.

Please refer to the VEC child safety policy (2022) for further information.

Updated: June 2022