<Service name>
Diversity and Equity Policy
To create an environment that supports, reflects and promotes equitable and
inclusive behaviours and practices, and respects individuals and groups of people, it
is crucial that a service examines its value and belief systems.
For many services, the majority of enrolled children and families do not speak English
or it is their second language. Some services are remote or have little access to
support agencies and professional development opportunities for staff/carers. In
other circumstances, a family’s traditional or cultural expectation about child rearing
can be in conflict with current early childhood recommendations and theories.
Personal experiences, biases and prejudices can influence professional and ethical
behaviour and effect: caregiving skills and strategies; the value of interactions
between children, families and staff/carers; and the ability of stakeholders to work
cohesively as a team.
Reflective questions can assist services to develop different ways of communicating
and can encourage open and honest discussions between the service’s
stakeholders.
The Diversity and Equity Policy should refer to the service’s Philosophy Statement.
Policy Number
<number>
Link to CCQA Principles
Family Day Care Quality Assurance (FDCQA)
Quality Practices Guide (2004) – Principle 1.2, 1.5, 5.1 /
Outside School Hours Care Quality Assurance (OSHCQA)
Quality Practices Guide (2003) – Principle 1.2 /
Quality Improvement and Accreditation System (QIAS)
Quality Practices Guide (2005) – Principle 1.5
Policy statement

The purpose of the Diversity and Equity Policy is to:
o ensure that all persons are treated equitably and with a level of mutual
respect;
o reduce bias and prejudice;
o develop a range of practices and guidelines that actively counteract
bias or prejudice;
o promote inclusive practices;
o encourage all persons1 to communicate respectfully and fairly; and
For the purpose of this policy, 'persons' include <children, families, staff, carers, carers' family,
management, coordination unit staff, ancillary staff (administrative staff, kitchen staff, cleaners,
maintenance personnel), students, volunteers, visitors, local community, school community, licensee,
sponsor and/or service owner>.
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o
avoid stakeholders making comparisons between children, families,
staff/carers, their backgrounds, abilities or additional needs.

The service’s environment treats and respects people equally regardless of:
gender, age, socio-economic status, race, language, beliefs, additional
needs and family structure or lifestyle.

The service does not tolerate behaviours, language or practices that label,
stereotype or demean others.

The service recognises and values the differences and similarities that exist in
children, families, staff/carers, management/coordination unit staff, students,
volunteers and the wider community.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act2 states that employers have a duty
of care to their employees to ensure that the working environment supports
emotional and mental wellbeing.
The service can refer to additional legislative3 requirements:
o Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cwlth)
o Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cwlth)
o Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cwlth)
o Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth)
o Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cwlth)
o Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cwlth)
Rationale
The rationale represents a statement of reasons that detail why the policy and/or
procedures have been developed and are important to the service.
Some services may already have a code of ethics or conduct that can assist in
governing their policy and procedures. The service may decide to include
information about the:
 United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child, or
 Early Childhood Australia (ECA) Code of Ethics (2005).
 Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Philosophy Statement.
Strategies and practices
These are examples. Services are encouraged to develop and adapt the following
strategies and practices as required to meet their individual circumstances and daily
best practices.
There are legislative Acts and regulations for each state and territory that address the issue of
Occupational Health and Safety. Services are advised to seek information that is relevant to their
jurisdiction.
3 These are Commonwealth Acts and services may need to consider state or territory legislation that is
relevant to their jurisdiction.
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2
Children and families
Services can describe how it implements a range of guidelines and strategies which
meet the individual needs of children and families. It is important for services to
remember that equitable and inclusive practices are a continuous process and
should occur every day.
Identifying and supporting individual needs
The service can describe how it supports children and families with additional needs.
‘Additional needs’ is a broad term of reference and can include children and
families with:
 intellectual or cognitive delay. Services should consider the following reflective
questions:
o How will the service communicate the requirements of child care in a
way that is understood by the child or family?
o How do staff/carers effectively communicate the child’s care
experience to parents with cognitive delay?
o How do staff/carers effectively retrieve information about the child’s
home life at the beginning of each care session?
o How can the service develop methods to effectively communicate
between children, families and staff/carers?
 language requirements, which can include diagnosed medical conditions
that delay speech development, such as oral or verbal dyspraxia. Services
should consider the following reflective questions:
o How does the service meet and support the language needs of
children and families?
o How does the service support bilingual children and families?
o Which of the service’s support documents can be translated in
different languages?
o How can the service access an interpreter?
o How does the service aim to communicate with families and children
after enrolment and when they are settling into care?
o How are strategies reinforced between home and the service?
o How are strategies evaluated by the service?
 specific medical conditions, such asthma, diabetes, anaphylaxis or cystic
fibrosis. Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o How does the service support children and families with medical
conditions who require child care?
o How does the service communicate the medical needs of children to
staff/carers?
o How does the service ensure that children with a medical condition are
treated equitably and offered play and learning opportunities with the
same outcomes as other children?
 child rearing practices that differ to the service’s practices. These include
belief systems regarding gender roles in play, independence, self-help skills,
behaviour guidance and nutritional needs;
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

diverse family lifestyles and structures. Services should consider those families
which do not represent the ‘traditional’ family structure. For example,
extended, single-parent, same-sex, foster, relative or kinship care families4;
and
emotional needs resulting from trauma, abuse or grief. For example, the death
of a family member or friend; family displacement due to war or refugee
status; domestic violence; family members suffering from depression; or
separation and divorce.
Enrolling families and children into the service5
 Enrolment and orientation is often a family’s first impression of a service’s
diversity and equity values.
 The service can state how it ensures that the enrolment and orientation
process is equitable and fair.
 Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o How does the service provide support to a family during the enrolment
process? It may be necessary to identify external support agencies that
can assist families with additional needs.
o What type of resources does the service access? For example,
pamphlets, brochures, information posters, external agencies.
o How would the service communicate the enrolment procedure to a
family who is non-English speaking or has low literacy levels? Are there
opportunities for the service to translate the enrolment
documentation?
o How are families provided with opportunities to read the service’s
policies and procedures in other languages?
 Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Enrolment and Orientation Policy.
Orientating children and families into the service
 The service can state how it tailors the orientation process to meet the
individual needs of children and families.
 For example, it may be necessary to identify how the service will assist in
orientating children and families from different backgrounds and with
different abilities.
 The service can identify how it evaluates the orientation process.
 For example, a checklist can be useful in assessing each orientation visit.
Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o What type of information was exchanged between staff/carer, family
member and child?
o What experiences did the child engage in?
o What is the child’s temperament during the orientation process? For
example, was the child expressing any visual emotions, such as
happiness, sadness or anxiety? Are there comforting strategies the
The NSW Department of Community Services defines ‘relative care’ and kinship care’ in the document
‘Out of Home Care Service Model: Relative/Kinship Care’ (2007). There may be different definitions for
each state and territory. Services are advised to seek information that is relevant to their jurisdiction.
5 Please note: If services have an established enrolment, orientation and settling in policy or procedure,
they should use the following sections in this template as a reference and guide to support existing
documentation.
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
family uses at home that can be replicated in the service, such as a
toy, favourite piece of music or a family photograph?
o If there were any difficulties in communicating with the child and their
family, how can this been improved before the next orientation visit?
Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Enrolment and Orientation Policy.
Settling children and families into the service
 Families and children who are using child care for the first time require support
and guidance from services. The settling in process can be stressful for many
families, particularly those who have different culture or language
backgrounds. Services may identify strategies that actively promote the
emotional wellbeing of children and families during the settling in process.
 Settling children and families into care is a process that continues after
orientation and should be maintained throughout the lifetime of a child’s
enrolment in care. The service can identify how it continues with ensuring
diversity and equity after the orientation process.
 For example, children who have been attending the service for an extended
period of time can still have days when they are upset or distressed. They
deserve the same attention and comfort as a child who is orientating or
settling into care. This reflects an equitable approach to caregiving strategies.
 The service can include information about the range of strategies used to
communicate with families and children to meet their individual needs. For
example, finding information in other languages, newsletters, e-mails.
 Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Enrolment and Orientation Policy.
Staff/Carers, students and volunteers
Selection and recruitment6
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Employment of Child Care Professionals Policy.
Relief staff, students and volunteers
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 The service can state how relief staff, students and volunteers are informed of
the service’s values. For example, asking individuals to read the service’s
Philosophy Statement and Diversity and Equity Policy.
 Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Employment of Child Care Professionals Policy.
Staff/Carer professional development opportunities
 The service can identify how it will support staff/carers in developing diverse
and equitable partnerships with stakeholders.
 This may be achieved through:
o professional development and training opportunities;
There is equal opportunity legislation protecting the rights of individuals through the recruitment and
selection of employees. Services are advised that their policy and procedures should reflect the
relevant federal, state or territory legislation.
6
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o
o
o
informal discussions with staff/carers about their values and beliefs
when reviewing the service’s philosophy statement;
inviting support agencies to work with staff/carers and the service to
discuss equity and inclusion concepts and issues; and
inviting members of the community from diverse backgrounds to
discuss their personal experiences of prejudices and biased behaviour.
Please note: There is often an assumption that culture is identifiable by difference in
race or language. This restricts the definition of ‘culture’, which is widely regarded to
encompass religion, family lifestyle and structure. It is important for staff/carers to
develop an understanding that extends beyond preconceived or traditional
stereotypes, which can be addressed through professional development
opportunities.
For example, consider the words ‘tradition’, ‘custom’, ‘worship’ and ‘way of life’ –
these are words often used to define culture; apply those same key words to a family
who are devoted fans of a football team. The family has a way of life where it is their
custom to support and worship their football team; it is their custom to attend the
football matches every weekend; and they practice certain traditions, such as
wearing the team’s colours. The family unit has created a system based on a
common belief (support for the football team) and a significant event (the football
match). Race or language has not played a part in defining the family’s culture;
however a cultural belief still exists.
When culture is considered in these broader contexts, services can actively
demonstrate how they can support the diversity and equity of children, families,
staff/carers and the local community.
Management/Coordination unit staff
Non-compliance of the Diversity and Equity Policy
 The service can state the types of prejudicial or biased behaviours which are
not tolerated at the service. For example, of a racist or sexist nature.
 The service can detail how these behaviours will be managed and resolved.
 Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Grievances and Complaints Management Policy.
Anti-bullying practices and guidelines
 The service may decide to address the issue of workplace bullying and how
this may be linked to individuals feeling threatened, overpowered,
inadequate or insecure in the workplace.
 Bullying is often the behaviour from those individuals who are prejudicial or
biased against others.
 The service can discuss anti-bullying guidelines and practices in general terms
or discuss the guidelines that identify types of bullying or when bullying occurs
between different stakeholders. For example:
o Types of bullying include: sexual harassment, physical aggression,
taunting, practical jokes, offensive language or visual materials,
inappropriate body language or physical contact.
o Different stakeholders can include: groups of children, families and
staff/carers, management and staff/carers, children and staff/carers.
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 Services can link this section by stating:
Please refer to the service’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy.
Please refer to the service’s Grievances and Complaints Management Policy.
Compliance with legislation and equal opportunity requirements
 There is legislation in every state and territory that governs, guides and
supports equal opportunity. Services need to remember their legislative and
regulatory obligations.
 In this section, the service may decide to state the legislative Acts for their
jurisdiction.
Communication with different stakeholders
Services can outline how their communication strategies with each stakeholder
promote and reflect diverse and equitable behaviours and practices.
Children
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 The service can describe how it strengthens and reinforces diverse and
equitable behaviours and practices with children, and challenges prejudice
and bias.
 Services should consider the following reflective questions when
communicating with children:
o What opportunities do children have to question and explore the social
constructions of gender, culture, race, language, lifestyles and
additional needs?
o How are preconceived notions of gender roles challenged and
addressed?
o What opportunities do children have to analyse resource and media
representations of bias, prejudice, similarities and differences?
o What questions are asked of children that challenge biases and
facilitate an understanding about diversity and equity?
o How are children’s questions about bias answered by staff/carers,
students and volunteers?
o How do staff/carers encourage children to understand the right of
individuals to have their thoughts, feelings and ideas heard and
respected?
o How are diverse cultures and abilities represented in the service for
children to explore and question?
o Do play and learning resources encourage critical thinking about
similarities and differences?
o How are instances of prejudice confronted in the service’s
environment? How can children actively take part in the resolution
process?
Families
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 The service can identify how it incorporates the diversity of families into daily
practice.
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

For example, grandparents, cousins, aunt and uncles may live in the one
home and this can influence the way families communicate with the service.
Female role models in Aboriginal communities are often called ‘aunty’ even if
there is no genetic relationship. Children from Indigenous families may have
several aunties who are highly respected and may have the same cultural
rights as parents, in relation to child-rearing and behaviour guidance. This
could affect the service’s policies on medication authorisation or the
disclosure of confidential information.
The service can identify how it will comprise with families if home practices or
family beliefs are in conflict with the services recommended practices or
values. For example, how does the service respect the beliefs of a family who
have traditional opinions regarding gender roles and refuse to talk with a
male staff member or carer?
Staff/Carers
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 The policy can define how staff/carers:
o interact with children, families and peers equitably and respectfully;
o discuss with children evidence of biased and prejudiced behaviours
and practices;
o actively monitor their responses and behaviours towards biases;
o use language that promotes equity;
o encourage empathy and fairness towards others;
o challenge stereotypes that promote prejudicial and biased behaviours
and practices;
o counteract biased or prejudicial behaviour and practices;
o avoid making comparisons between children, families, staff/carers;
o identify scenarios or situations that may create acts of prejudice or
bias;
o use their diverse life experiences to contribute to and enhance the
program and environment; and
o support and encourage children to be fair and respectful of others.
Staff/Carers, students and volunteers as role models
 Children learn through example and modelling is an important way to teach
children about the values that support diversity and equity.
Staff/carers are important role models in guiding and educating all
stakeholders in relation to diverse and equitable behaviours and practices.
Children also learn from modelling and staff/carers, students and volunteers
need to be aware that their actions, language, gestures and behaviours may
communicate biased or prejudiced opinions or feelings.
Management/Coordination unit staff
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Service can state other policies and procedures that guide management’s
obligation to equity and diversity.
External support agencies
 This is an opportunity for the service to discuss how it utilises resource and
support agencies that promote diverse and equitable behaviours and
practices.
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
The Inclusion and Professional Support Program (IPSP)7 funded by the
Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA)
may be a useful starting place for services when developing a network of
external support agencies.
Experiences
Diverse and equitable experiences encourage stakeholders to question their own
belief systems and the values that they place on people of different backgrounds,
cultures and lifestyles.
It is important that services acknowledge and respect differences and similarities by
ensuring that play and learning experiences are child-focussed, relevant and
meaningful. Placing token values on differences and assuming that one
interpretation of a culture, race or lifestyle represents everyone from that
background, is not a sign of diversity and equity. It makes an assumption about the
lives of individual’s or groups of people, which may not be a true refection of who
they are. This type of assumption emphasises difference and diverts attention away
from the similarities between people.
For example, people in other countries may assume that all Australians have held a
koala. This places a token value on what people perceive as being the normal
Australian lifestyle or experience. Likewise, assuming that a child from an Asian
ethnicity knows how to use chopsticks places a token value and assumption on the
child’s lifestyle and history, before seeking information from the family.
Similarly, organising a one-off ‘cultural celebration days’ where children are exposed
to cultural signs and symbols that they are not exposed to on any other day, limits
children’s experiences. Services should aim to create environments where people of
different backgrounds are considered equal to others, and therefore their culture is
celebrated every day.
Effective planned experiences:
 provide an opportunity for the service to detail how diversity and equity are
reflected in children’s individual and group experiences;
 discuss the common values, concerns and triumphs that are shared among
people;
 reflect the diversity of children’s families and lifestyles, and encourage
children to explore experiment and question the culture they live in;
 encourage services to identify how differences and similarities can be
embraced and respected through play and learning experiences;
 identify different resources, materials and external agencies accessed by the
service to support, guide and strengthen the provision of equitable and
inclusive experiences; and
 encourage children to broaden their understanding of different groups of
people in their local community and society.
IPSP can provide telephone advice, online support and resources, training opportunities, resources
such as factsheets, training information, and referral to appropriate agencies for further advice and
information. Please refer to the ‘Sources and further reading’ list.
7
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Areas of focus for experiences can include:
 cultural diversity;
 language and bilingualism, including non-verbal and written language.
Services may also decide to include elements of sign language;
 gender role differences and similarities;
 family lifestyles;
 festivities and celebrations;
 identification and discussion of prejudice and bias experiences; and
 the development of critical and analytical thinking.
Routines
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Routines can include: rest and sleep, clothing and comfort, nappy changing,
toileting and mealtimes.
 Services can state how they discuss with families about their caregiving
strategies, expectations and standards of care which are reflected through
the service’s routines.
 For example, some cultures and families place minimal value on children
developing self-help skills at a young age, such as dressing, toileting and
packing away toys. While a service may determine that is it developmentally
appropriate, this may be in conflict with cultural beliefs which place unfair
expectations on the child’s ability to succeed.
 Services and families should engage in open, honest conversations during the
enrolment and orientation process to determine if there may be potential
differences in expectations and develop strategies to communicate needs
that can be resolved positively and effectively.
Excursions
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 Services may identify how excursions are chosen and planned for to include
those children and families from different backgrounds, experiences or age
ranges.
 Services should consider the following reflective question:
o Are there nappy changing facilities available for younger children?
 Services that provide care for children with additional needs can identify the
strategies that assist in planning for excursions, which include transportation or
care requirements.
 Services should consider the following reflective question:
o How does the service ensure that excursion venues have facilities for
accessibility, such as disabled toilets, lifts and/or ramp access.
Community
 Brief and concise detail of the service’s strategy.
 The service can identify how it embraces diversity in the local community.
 Services should consider the following reflective questions:
o How does the service market itself in the community?
o How does the service translate its resources or documents in other
languages?
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o
How can involvement in the local community be incorporated into
children’s play and learning experiences? For example, staff in a
service may have a relative in an aged care facility; a community link
may be established that promotes and encourages inter-generational
experiences and conversations.
Policy review



The service will review the Diversity and Equity Policy and guidelines every
<timeframe>.
Families are encouraged to collaborate with the service to review the policy
and procedures.
Staff/carers are essential stakeholders in the policy review process and will be
encouraged to be actively involved.
Procedures
The following are examples of procedures that a service may employ as part of its
daily practices.
Examples:
 Employee induction procedure.
 Enrolling new children and families into care.
 Orientating external support agency staff.
 Planning and evaluating play and learning experiences for individuals or
groups of children.
 Policy development and review procedure.
 Procedure for non-compliance of the Diversity and Equity Policy and
procedures by a:
o child;
o staff/carer;
o family member;
o student/volunteer; or
o visitor.
 Student and volunteer induction procedure.
Measuring tools
The service may further specify tools that assist in measuring the effectiveness of the
policy.
Links to other policies
The following are a list of examples:
 Behaviour guidance
 Child protection
 Clothing and comfort
 Employment of child care professionals
 Enrolment of new children and families to the service
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




Grievances and complaints management
Healthy eating
Occupational health and safety
Rest and sleep
Staff/carers as role models
Supporting children’s individual health needs
Sources and further reading








Centre for Community Health. (2007). Working with Culturally and Linguistically
Diverse (CALD) families. Childcare and Children’s Health. 10, (1).
Dau, E. (Ed.). (2001). The anti-bias approach in early childhood (2nd ed.). NSW:
Longman.
Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA).
(2006). Child care inclusion and professional support program. Retrieved April
13, 2007, from
http://www.facs.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/childcare/services-ipsp.htm
Early Childhood Australia (ECA). (2005). The Code of Ethics. Retrieved April 4,
2007, from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/code_of_ethics/
early_childhood_australias_code_of_ethics.html
National Childcare Accreditation Council Inc. (2005). Diversity in
programming. Family Day Care Quality Assurance Factsheet #4. NSW: Author.
New South Wales Department of Community Services. (2007). Out of home
care service model: Relative/kinship care. Retrieved May 20, 2007, from
http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/documents/OOHC_Relative_KinCareServi
ce_Model.pdf
Tansey, S. (2006). Equity for children and families. Outside School Hours Care
Quality Assurance Factsheet #8. NSW: National Childcare Accreditation
Council Inc.
UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on
the Rights of the Child. Retrieved April 4, 2007, from
http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
Legislative Acts8
 Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cwlth)
 Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cwlth)
 Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cwlth)
 Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth)
 Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cwlth)
 Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cwlth)
These are Commonwealth Acts and services may need to consider state or territory legislation that is
relevant to their jurisdiction.
8
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Policy created date
<date>
Policy review date
<date>
Signatures
<signatures>
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