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Professional Development for Child Care Centres

Helping little ones feel understood

Protect Our Babies (POB) run full day Professional Development in Child Care Centres using Auslan Informed Key Word Signs (AI-KWS).

AI-KWS helps childcare staff understand what babies are communicating months before they can speak.

I'm a parent/guardian

I'm a childcare/staff member

Professional Development for Child Care Centres

Helping little ones feel understood

Protect Our Babies (POB) run full day Professional Development in Child Care Centres using Auslan Informed Key Word Signs (AI-KWS).

AI-KWS helps childcare staff understand what babies are communicating months before they can speak.

I'm a parent/guardian

I'm a childcare/staff member

Peace of Mind for Parents and Guardians

Supporting safety through communication

Our Professional Development for Child Care Centres gives childcare educators practical communication tools that can be used with babies and young children before they are able to speak, helping create safer, calmer and more connected childcare environments.

For parents, the POB program means:

  • added reassurance that your child is being supported by educators who are skilled in key word signing.
  • Carers will be skilled and able to recognise, respond to and understand your child.
  • Being understood can help make your child feel safer, respected and valued improving their wellbeing* allowing for more play, rest and connection.
  • Starting from as early as 6 weeks of age, babies and children can begin to understand signing from the adults caring for them.
  • Our Auslan Informed Key Word Signs POB program helps create a culture for children to express themselves intentionally.
  • Around 8 months babies have the manual dexterity and cognitive ability to communicate their needs, emotions and experiences more clearly e.g. hungry, sleep, finished

*ACECQE (Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority) Quality area 2 “Children’s Health & Safety providing comfort, safety, protection and wellbeing to all children

More than signing

A stronger layer of safety in care

Protect Our Babies AI-KWS program promotes-:

  • Child safety and comfort
  • Wellbeing
  • Early communication
  • Engaging activity
  • Improves eye contact
  • Promotes hand eye coordination
  • Right brain left brain integration
  • Building new neurological pathways
  • Increases vocabulary
  • A bridge to multiple languages (2nd languages)
  • Fun
  • Connection
  • Consistent shared modality
  • An option for a child who is non-verbal
  • Extra layers of visibility and accountability of staff
  • Staff professional development
  • Meeting NQF standards for children’s health & safety
  • Respecting a child’s rights to be safe, seen and understood
Nominate a childcare

Training & Professional Development for Child Care Centres

Full Day Auslan Informed Key Word Signing Program

Through our full day Professional Development for Child Care Centres -:

  • We help teams build KWS skills together
  • increase personal confidence with a new skill
  • improve staff morale through shared learning
  • nurture face to face, in person connection via key word signing together
  • enhance the unique culture of the Child care centre

Our charter is to see that babies and children are better supported to feel heard, understood and safer in care.

Help your child be understood before they can speak

Community Child Care and Kinders

  • All day
  • Includes Staff Professional Development

We offer an optional Staff Professional Development

Inservice. The PD session covers:

  • Auslan informed Key Word Signs
  • Auslan culture
  • expanded Baby Signing
  • Anatomy of Hearing
  • understanding the impact of hearing loss
  • grommets, glue ear, tubes
  • cochlear implants
  • auditory processing
  • hearing aids
  • Inclusive and immediately implemented adjustments
  • practical strategies for instant impact

I'm a parent/guardian

I'm a childcare/staff member

  • We base ourselves at one centre for a full day (or two) so the learning can happen in the
    environment where the staff and children already feel safe and settled.
  • This full day allows for shift workers to receive the professional development across the day.
  • Throughout the day, we gently model AI-KWS
    with staff complimenting their work responsibilities
  • We stand with them shoulder to shoulder being supportive, side by side, working and
    learning in real time caring for the babies in the room
  • Staff will be signed off by the Protect Our
    Babies trainer to confirm they received the PD
    making them eligible to receive their authorised digital certificate.
  • This approach supports immediate use of the signs Immediate implementation in the context of the Child Care setting helps internalise the learning with instant success
  • The program supports the staff member in a more natural and practical way
  • Our program builds stronger connections between staff members, children and carers.
  • Communication becomes clearer, calmer and more intentional.
  • Staff report having an extra skill in their ‘tool kit’ to improve care and reduce frustrations
    It is a positive workplace experience.
  • Protect Our Babies programme is for Child Care Centres.
  • The Professional Development is for Child Care staff in direct contact with babies and children.
  • Child Care Centres who prioritise Child Safety and want to promote appropriate Professional Development to train their staff in the area of Child Health and Safety standards
  • We have a separate program for Not for Profit Kindergartens and Community Centres. Please contact us below
  • We also offer free referrals to other trusted
    providers. Please book in for a free 20min consult call.

Give educators practical signing skills they can use every day

Professional Development for Child Care staff

  • 60 mins
  • Staff Professional Development

Our Professional Development for Child Care Staff programme is designed for centres that want to train their team in Auslan informed signing and communication support, without the child-facing immersion component. It is a structured full day of professional learning delivered at your centre, with a clear and consistent programme that gives educators practical knowledge they can take straight into their work.

This training is dedicated to one service for the full day, making it easier for staff across different shifts to attend and ensuring the centre receives focused, high-quality delivery.

I'm a parent/guardian

I'm a childcare/staff member

Consistent, practical and relevant

  • The full day POB in-service is a dynamic program to suit the unique culture of the child
    care centre.
  • The content is based on research andevidence of Language acquisition and Early
    Communication.
  • The curriculum is designed to ensure consistent delivery across multiple centres
    setting a standard of care
  • The POB staff are highly qualified teachers experienced in Early Intervention
  • The KWS skill is transferrable across multiple settings (outside, inside, home)
  • Key word signing requires no technology

In early childhood settings, communication is happening all day, even before spoken language is established. When educators understand how to use key signs clearly and consistently, they are better equipped to support children’s expression, reduce frustration and strengthen connection through everyday interactions.

This professional development also helps staff feel more prepared to support a wider range of communication needs within the room, including children with hearing-related challenges and children navigating more than one language.

We are based at one centre for the full day so all shift staff have the opportunity to attend. This allows for a more thorough and practical learning experience, while also supporting consistency across the team.

To maintain quality control, centres provide staff names in advance and attendance is checked on the day. A Professional Certificate is then made available to attendees after the training has been delivered.

For parents and guardians

Have a childcare in mind?

Parents and guardians can complete this form

  1. Provide us with the name, location and contact person of the childcare you would like a session to be completed at.
  2. We will contact the centre and let them know that a family has requested the Protect Our Babies Program
  3. We will support any parent, guardian or carer who wants POB program run in their centre to offer an extra layer is safety for ANY child.
  4. Your nomination and voice is very powerful.
  5. To protect your child we do not need to know your baby or your child’s name. Child safety is our top priority.

To protect your child we do not need to know your baby or your child’s name. Child safety is our top priority.

For centres and staff

Book your Professional Development

  • All sessions can be delivered Australia wide.
  • Regional towns are encouraged to make contact.
  • Some locations may attract extra charges to cover travel and accommodation.
  • All details can be discussed during a free 20 minute call.

Book your consultation

Choose a day and time that suits you for your 20 minute consultation.

Let's discuss the details

During your 20 minute consultation we will discuss your needs and any costs, and schedule your training day.

Complete training

We will commence the training on the agreed upon date, and upon completion you will receive your certificate.

Book your 20 minute consultation here

All sessions can be completed Australia-wide. Regional locations can be arranged as well, and these may incur accommodation costs which we will discuss in your 20 minute consultation. 

Information for centres and staff

What you need to know

What are the costs involved?

All day sessions are $1850
2 day sessions are $2500
Places limited

Current 2026 pricing

Inservice costs are subject to change and any applicable conditions.

Child Care Centre All day including Staff Professional Development
$1850 1 day +GST
$2500 2 days +GST

Kinders by arrangement. Please call to discuss.

Payment & Refund policies
Discounts may be available for bookings paid in advance.
Full terms conditions will be provided at time of booking.

• Where possible, we aim to reschedule bookings rather than cancel them.
• We have limited places so we will endeavour to make another booking time close to the original date.
• If no date can be agreed a refund will be offered
• As there is a waiting list we do not offer refunds for cancellations unless there are substantiated extenuating circumstances
• Rescheduling requests will be subject to availability and the amount of notice provided.
• Further details around lead times and conditions will be included in our final booking terms.

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