Our commitment to child safety
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children. We remain compliant with the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework and have zero tolerance for child harm or abuse.
We are committed to continuous improvement in safeguarding children, and to regularly reviewing our policies, procedures and practices to strengthen child safety and wellbeing across all areas of our work.
Overview of child safe practices
While PM&C has limited direct interaction with children, we work to ensure departmental activities are child safe. Where contact does occur, such as through correspondence, events, grants, or the School Leaver Program, we acknowledge the potential risks and have a range of controls in place, including:
- Clear procedures and monitoring
- Child safe practices embedded in policy and processes
- Specific child safe training
- Clear complaints and disclosure processes
- Mandatory clearance processes before sending correspondence responses to children
- Risk management support for events that involve children
We recognise the risks associated with funding activities involving children. To manage these risks, we:
- Proactively monitor grant activities
- Implement internal audit recommendations
- Use standard Commonwealth child safety clauses in agreements
- Work with the Community Grants Hub for support.
Annual risk assessment
PM&C conducts an annual risk assessment to establish the extent of the department’s contact with children, and to evaluate risks to child safety and the effectiveness of the department’s risk controls.
In 2025, the risk assessment found the effectiveness of controls used by the department to manage risks to child safety to be fully effective and the risk to child safety as low.
Future initiatives
We are committed to strengthening our child safety culture and will continue to embed child safe initiatives into our culture and work practices. Key initiatives for the next 12 months include:
- Developing an internal Child Safe Policy and dedicated child safe resources
- Ensuring that our employees remain aware of the requirements of the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework
- Updating training programs in line with new national guidance.