Learn how children can start out safely on the road

Starting Out Safely, Victoria’s early childhood road safety education program, is delivering a large professional development session for Surf Coast early childhood teachers and educators next month.

The session will be attended by representatives of the Surf Coast Shire and early childhood teachers and educators from the majority of early childhood services.

The fun, engaging session for educators will be delivered by one of Australia’s leading early childhood consultants, Louise Dorrat.

Starting Out Safely is about children, parents, carers and early childhood educators working together to guide children’s learning in being and becoming safe and independent road users.

The program stresses the safe transportation of children and the correct use of car seats, citing VicRoads figures that state 72 of the 108 children aged 0-12 killed or seriously injured in 2016 were passengers.

Starting Out Safely also notes that according to the Transport Accident Commission, nearly half (47.3 per cent) of all claims involving hospitalisation for 0-17 years olds in 2016 were for passengers.

In delivering the program, Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA) is committed to the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all children, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and children with a disability.

The early childhood road safety education program is funded by VicRoads and has been developed through evidence-based research, in collaboration with leading early childhood experts and is based on best practice principles.

The Starting Out Safely session will be held in Jan Juc on the evening of May 14.

For more information, head to childroadsafety.org.au.