Our Commitment
Your child's safety is everything we do
Sonas operates under the Education and Care Services National Law and is regulated by ACECQA and the WA Department of Communities. The promises below explain — in plain English — exactly how we keep your child safe, well and respected from the moment they walk in.
Every child has the right to feel safe, heard, and respected.
We are mandatory reporters under WA law and act without hesitation.
Every educator holds a current Working with Children Check.
All educators are trained in first aid, CPR, anaphylaxis and asthma.
We follow Red Nose safe-sleep practice in every nursery room.
Families can raise concerns anonymously at any time.
A Child Safe Organisation
Sonas Early Learning & Care is a child-safe organisation as defined by the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. Child safety isn't a single policy — it's how we recruit, train, supervise, communicate and respond every day.
- Children's voices are heard. Educators are trained to notice and act on what children say, draw, or show through their behaviour.
- Equity is built in. Children from all cultural, linguistic, and family backgrounds are welcomed and represented in our programs.
- Our Code of Conduct is signed by every educator at induction and reinforced at every staff meeting.
- All concerns about a child's safety are taken seriously, recorded, and acted on the same day.
- The WA-developed Safe4Kids protective-behaviours program is woven into our everyday curriculum — children learn the language of personal safety in age-appropriate ways.
Mandatory Reporting
Every Sonas educator is a mandatory reporter under the Children and Community Services Act 2004 (WA). If we have a belief on reasonable grounds that a child is being physically abused, sexually abused, neglected, or exposed to family and domestic violence, we are required by law to make a report to the Department of Communities.
We will make that report whether or not the family has been informed in advance — and there are circumstances under WA law in which we are not permitted to inform the family. We follow the legislation, not custom or convenience.
If a child is in immediate danger
Call Triple Zero (000). To report suspected child abuse or neglect to the WA Department of Communities, call the Child Protection Helpline on 1800 273 889 (24 hours).
The people who care for your child
We thoroughly vet every person who works with children at Sonas. Every educator, volunteer and contractor is screened, verified and trained before they start, and re-checked at every renewal cycle thereafter.
- Working with Children Check (WWCC) — current card verified before any unsupervised contact with children, and re-verified every renewal cycle.
- National Police Clearance — required from every educator before their start date and re-checked at our renewal interval.
- Registration with the Early Childhood Register — every employee is registered with the Australian Government's Early Childhood Register, the national workforce register for the sector.
- Qualifications — every educator holds at minimum a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. Many hold a Diploma, Bachelor of Early Childhood, or are registered Early Childhood Teachers (ECTs) with the Teacher Registration Board of WA. All qualifications are verified at original-source.
- References and identity — references contacted, photo ID and right-to-work verified, and probationary periods supervised by our Centre Director.
- First Aid, CPR, anaphylaxis and asthma — current certifications in HLTAID012 First Aid, CPR, asthma management and anaphylaxis. CPR is refreshed annually; First Aid every three years.
- National Child Safety training — every educator completes National Child Safety training before unsupervised contact, with annual refreshers, alongside our Safe4Kids Protective Education Program.
- Mandatory-reporter training — every educator is trained as a mandatory reporter under the Children and Community Services Act 2004 (WA) and acts without hesitation.
- Ongoing professional development — trauma-informed practice, child protection, and the National Quality Framework — embedded into weekly reflective practice.
Educator-to-child ratios
Ratios at Sonas meet — and at times exceed — the minimum ratios set by the Education and Care Services National Regulations. These are not aspirational numbers; they are the legal floor we operate above:
| Age group | Minimum NQF ratio |
|---|---|
| Birth to 24 months | 1 educator : 4 children |
| Over 24 months to under 36 months | 1 : 5 |
| 36 months up to and including preschool age | 1 : 10 |
| Over preschool age (OSHC & vacation care) | 1 : 13 |
Source: Education and Care Services National Regulations, Part 4.4. The full WA regulator overview is on the ACECQA website.
Health & wellbeing
Immunisation
Sonas operates under WA's "No Jab, No Play" arrangements. Before a child begins, families provide an up-to-date Immunisation History Statement from Medicare. Children who are not fully immunised cannot be enrolled except in the specific medical-exemption circumstances allowed by WA Health.
Allergies & anaphylaxis
Every child with a known allergy has an ASCIA Action Plan signed by their treating doctor, displayed in the kitchen and the child's room. Adrenaline auto-injectors are stored where educators can reach them within 30 seconds. All Sonas centres operate as nut-aware environments, and high-risk foods (whole nuts, sesame products) are not served.
Asthma & medication
Children with asthma have an Asthma Action Plan and named spacer/inhaler on site. Routine medication is only administered with written authorisation from the parent and (where required) the prescribing doctor.
Illness & exclusion
We follow the Communicable Disease Network Australia Staying Healthy in Early Childhood Education and Care Services exclusion guidelines. Children with fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis or notifiable infections are kept home until they meet the published return-to-care criteria — this protects every other child in the room.
Hygiene
Hand-washing routines are built into the day. Surfaces, toys and bedding are cleaned to schedules audited by our Centre Directors. Nappy-change practice follows the WA Department of Health guidelines.
Safe sleep
Every nursery room follows the six Red Nose Safe Sleep recommendations: babies sleep on their back, on a firm flat mattress, face uncovered, in a smoke-free environment, with no soft objects or bumpers, and supervised by an educator who checks every 10 minutes.
Cot bed-rails are checked weekly. Sleep records are kept for every child every day. Rest routines for older children are calm, dimmed, and never forced — we offer rest, but children who don't need it have quiet activities instead.
Food, water & nutrition
- Fresh, healthy meals are catered daily. Menus are designed against the Australian Dietary Guidelines and rotate seasonally.
- Weekly menus are shared with families through the Xplor app and displayed in each centre's foyer.
- Dietary needs — cultural, religious, medical, or family preference — are accommodated.
- Cooled, filtered water is available to every child throughout the day.
- Our signature Kids in the Kitchen program teaches children to cook, weigh, and try new foods — building a healthy relationship with eating.
SunSmart & outdoor play
Sonas centres are registered SunSmart Early Childhood Services. Between September and April, children play outside only when shaded, sunscreen has been applied, hats are on, and the UV index is within recommended limits. Sunscreen is reapplied every two hours. Shade structures and natural shade are part of every outdoor play space.
Settling in
Starting at a new centre is a big step for the whole family. Before your child's first full day, we offer two free orientation visits — one with you in the room, one with a shorter solo session — so your child can meet their key educator and learn the rhythms of the day at their own pace.
On day one, your educator will text you photos through the Xplor app within the first hour, and a settling update by lunchtime. You're welcome to phone the centre at any time. There's no "right" length of time to settle — we follow your child's lead.
Raising a concern
We expect to get most things right, and we want to know quickly when we don't. You can raise a concern at any time — in person, by phone, by email, or anonymously through a feedback form at the centre.
- Talk to your child's educator — most things are resolved here.
- Speak to the Centre Director — for anything not resolved at room level, or anything significant.
- Contact our Operations team at bizhub@sonaschildcare.com.au — written complaints receive a written response within 5 business days.
- Escalate to the regulator — if you remain dissatisfied, you can contact the WA Department of Communities, Early Childhood Regulatory Unit, who oversee education and care services in WA.
Regulator contact
Department of Communities — Education and Care Regulatory Unit · 1800 199 383 · wa.gov.au childcare
Verify us on the public registers
Every Sonas centre is an Approved Service under the National Quality Framework. You can look up our approval status, current National Quality Standard (NQS) rating and any compliance history on the ACECQA national register — no login required.
Acknowledgement of Country
Sonas Early Learning & Care acknowledges the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which our Perth centres operate. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and we honour the strength, wisdom and continuing connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to Country, community and family. We believe every child in our care benefits from learning, playing and growing on Country with that history acknowledged.
Come and see how it works in person
The clearest answer to "is my child safe here?" is to walk into the centre, meet the educators, see how the rooms run. Tours are free, 30 minutes, no obligation.