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Child safety and wellbeing

Yarra City Council is a child safe organisation and has a zero tolerance for child abuse.

If you believe a child or young person is in immediate danger, call 000 without delay.

Our safeguarding approach

Yarra City Council is a child safe organisation and has a zero tolerance for child abuse.

We believe that every child and young person has the right to be safe and feel safe.

To achieve our vision for a child safe Yarra, we know that we must all work together to ensure our children and young people are safe, happy and thrive.

We are proud of the many initiatives we have already implemented and will continue to review and improve how we embed child safety into our systems, practices and decision-making.

Learn more about some of the ways we do this:

Reporting child abuse

Find the information you need to make a disclosure or report an incident of child abuse or harm.

What should I do if I feel unsafe, or worried that one of my friends is unsafe?

Tell an adult you trust. This might be a parent, family member, teacher, welfare officer, coach, doctor, or therapist. It can also be someone you trust from one of our services or programs you attend, like a nurse, swim teacher, youth worker, librarian, family support case worker, early childhood educator/teacher, school crossing supervisor, or even a customer service officer.

The adults at our services can help you and will take your concerns seriously.

Read our Child Safe Code of Conduct for Children and Young People [ PDF, 413.39 KB] to learn more about your rights and what our staff will do when you tell them you feel unsafe.

You can also go to your local police station to make a report or call 000.

Getting help and support

If you need to talk to someone, here are some other places you can get online and phone support:

If the situation is life threatening or the child/young person is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

Child protection

If you believe a child or young person is in need of protection contact:

Child Protection North Division Intake
  • 1300 598 521
  • Monday to Friday 8.45am to 5pm
After Hours Child Protection Emergency Service
  • 13 12 78
  • For urgent matters outside of normal business hours
  • Monday to Friday 5pm to 9am, and 24 hours on weekends and public holidays.

Sexual offences and child abuse

To report recent past or current sexual offences and child abuse contact: 

Melbourne SOCIT (Covers Yarra Area)
  • 03 624 3781

Note: If you have reason to believe that an adult has committed a sexual offence against a child under 16 years of age you must report this to the police. Failing to report such information is a criminal offence for all Victorian adults. 

To report a sexual offence:

Sexual Crime Squad - Historical Investigation Team (formerly SANO Taskforce)

To report past child abuse and sexual abuse that happened in a religious or institutional setting contact:

Information sharing with other organisations

Several Yarra City Council services are a prescribed Information Sharing Entity (ISE) under Part 5A of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 and Part 6A of the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2005.

Under the Family Violence Information Scheme (FVISS) and the Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS), those services may lawfully collect, use and share current and previously collected personal and health information with other authorised organisations to assess and manage family violence risk and promote children's wellbeing and safety. This can be done with or without the person’s consent depending on the circumstances in which the information is being requested or shared.

These laws and supporting regulations:

  • override privacy law
  • prioritise the safety of adult and child victim-survivors over a perpetrator’s privacy, and
  • make sure that key professionals have the information they need to keep children and young people safe.

Make a child safe complaint

Find the information you need to make a child safe complaint. 

You have the right to feel safe and happy at Yarra.

You also have the right to tell us when something has gone wrong or isn’t working well.

If you ever feel unsafe or unhappy at a Yarra-run service, program, event or place; you have the right to make a complaint. Your complaint can be about:

  • Any aspect of the service, program, event or place you attend;
  • How someone who works at Yarra treated you; or
  • How we have responded to a previous child safe incident involving you, or complaint made by you.

If you are unhappy or worried about something, you can:

  • Tell someone in your family;
  • Talk to a worker here you know and trust;
  • Tell the person in charge (the boss) of the service, program, event or facility you attend; or
  • Contact our 'Child Safe Complaints Person'.

You can do this in-person, online, by phone, email or post. 

To learn more, read our child-friendly policy or watch the video below. 

Child Safe Complaints Policy (Easy Read Version)  [ PDF, 3.66 MB]

We aim to make complaints as accessible and easy as possible and recognise that some people may have particular needs or require extra assistance in making a complaint. Below is a list of options.

Phone03 9205 5555
WebsiteMake a complaint
Email[email protected]
In PersonAt any Council office or facility
Postal AddressYarra City Council
PO Box 168
Richmond VIC 3121
Interpreter ServiceIf you speak a language other than English, you can use our
interpreter service
National Relay ServiceChoose your preferred NRS channel then ask for 03 9205 5555

To learn more, read our:

Helplines and support services

Quick links to a range of helplines, counselling and support services.

Other specialist support services

Survivors of institutional abuse

Victims of sexual assault and family violence

Resources for children, young people and families

Find information, tools and resources on a range of topics, including specialist resources for diverse groups.

Children and young people

Parents and carers

Child safe standards and related laws

Collectively, these laws aim to better protect Victorian children and young people from abuse and harm in organisations, families and the community.