Child safe organisation commitment
In December 2025, the Minister for Health and Ambulance Services, and Director-General, Queensland Health co-signed a Queensland Health Child Safe Organisation Commitment (PDF 1953 kB).
This commitment was co-designed with a diverse group of young people from around Queensland and reflects what they need to feel safe, respected and heard.
The commitment affirms Queensland Health’s intention to proactively work to align services and operations with the 10 Child Safe Standards and Universal Principle established by the Child Safe Organisations Act 2024 (the Act).
The Act is a response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse which highlighted the devastating impacts of child sexual abuse and the significant role that organisational culture, leadership and governance plays in ensuring environments are safe for children. It delivers the Queensland Government’s commitments to recommendations of the 2017 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Final Report.
Child Safe Organisations include:
- 10 Child Safe Standards and a Universal Principle to be applied when complying with the Standards
- a Reportable Conduct Scheme.
Child Safe Organisations focus on children and young people, that is, persons aged under 18 years. Child Safe Organisations emphasise the safety and wellbeing of children and young people as a whole of organisation responsibility.
All employees, volunteers, and service providers in the Queensland Health system have a responsibility to respect and promote the rights of children and young people.
What it means to be a Child Safe Organisation
The Australian Human Rights Commission defines a child safe organisation (PDF, 1MB) as one that consciously and systematically:
- creates an environment where children and young people’s safety and wellbeing is at the centre of thought, values and actions
- places emphasis on genuine engagement with and valuing of children and young people
- creates conditions that reduce the likelihood of harm to children and young people
- creates conditions that increase the likelihood of identifying and harm, and
- responds to any concerns, disclosures, allegations, or suspicions of harm.
The Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) is the regulator for Child Safe Organisations. More information on the Child Safe Standards and Reportable Conduct Scheme can be found on the QFCC website.
Every member of an organisation has a role to play in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and young people and all Queensland Health agencies have an obligation to proactively create and maintain an organisational culture where the safety of children and young people is a priority.