Child Aware Approach aims to offer every child the opportunity to flourish and thrive. We aim to always keep children safe. CAA takes this one step further.  It’s a journey to change the culture and focus on early childhood development. 

Child Aware Approach promotes cultural change, and was introduced as a core competency for all UCSA staff, volunteers and foster carers in 2012. We offer CARES (a version of CAA) across all communities to allied service providers, parent groups, sporting clubs, or any individuals or groups willing to be involved. The training session is interactive including jenga kits and jigsaws, catering for diverse learning styles.

During the CAA training, topics discussed include Ages and Stages of child development, human drivers and we define the meaning of “trauma” in terms of childhood development. A review of the impacts of trauma and identifying local resources and support services is an integral aspect of the training. Duration is 2-3 hours.

How does CAA work?

The aim of CAA is to influence the culture of communities. CAA aims to create increased awareness of factors impacting childhood development not only from the moment of conception to the age of 2- (F1000D) the first 1000 days, but also beyond that through to the early teenage years.

The program is designed to be shared broadly across the region with not only UCSA staff, including foster carers and volunteers, but also externally with allied service providers such as education, health, child protection.

Ultimately, CAA aims to change the cycle of disadvantage and poverty across the region.  Through CAA we can create increased awareness of healthy childhood development and how essential this is for all children to flourish and thrive.

Additional Resources
Australian Childhood Foundation	Raising Children
The Rights of the Child
For every child, every right Thirty years ago, world leaders made a historic commitment to the world’s children by adopting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – an international agreement on childhood.  It’s become the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history and has helped transform children’s lives around the world.