Early Childhood

Protecting & Empowering Young People from Birth

Long before they can talk or move on their own, babies are learning from their adults about what it means to be safe and to be important.

Our job as adults is to provide nurturing, love, guidance, and protection – and, to remember that babies are also aware of how we speak and act. When we speak and act in safe and respectful ways, babies are learning lessons about safety and respect!

As young children start to develop more mobility, understanding, and language, our job is also to start teaching them how to be safe in their world and with other people – in addition to remembering that our own words and actions are also teaching lessons about safety and respect.

Because most young children tend to be very literal and think in concrete terms, Kidpower teaches about safety with people in simple, clear ways with specific examples from their daily lives. We keep in mind Kidpower’s Seven Keys to Teaching Safety:

1. Stay calm – because it’s easier to teach and learn when everyone is calm
2. Make it fun – because people learn better when they are having fun
3. Make it simple – because simple things are easier to remember
4. Be consistent – because consistent messages make more sense
5. Practice – a lot! – because repeated, successful practice makes skills stronger and increases confidence
6. Make it relevant – because people learn a skill faster when it seems useful
7. Stay in charge – because leaders are responsible for the safety of those in their care

Kids learn better when they are having fun, so we are enthusiastic, vivid, and joyful when we teach skills. We use puppets, social stories, toys, and people to show what the safety rules and skills are. We avoid confusing or frightening language, attitudes, or ideas.

Children learn more from what they see adults do than from what we tell them to do, so we support adults in being excellent role models about making safe choices.

The Kidpower® Young Children Programme is designed to build consistent, common language and common strategies for conflict resolution and boundary setting for the children in your Childhood Centre.  It includes:

• Professional Development for Teachers/Caregivers
• Children/Tamariki workshop
• Parent/Whānau education

We are an approved SELO PLD (for early childhood centres) and Regional PLD (for primary schools) provider. 

Pre-school Workshops

Designed to build consistent, common language and common strategies for conflict resolution and boundary setting for the children in your Childhood Centre.  It includes:
• Professional Development for Teachers/Caregivers
• Children/Tamariki workshop
• Parent/Whānau education

Parent/Caregiver Whanau Workshops

Children learn more from what they see adults do than from what we tell them to do, so we support adults in being excellent role models about making safe choices.  Adults learn how to use the Kidpower® approach for helping their children learn and develop age-appropriate People Safety skills. Participants practice ways to foster the skills through upbeat, experiential practice without using fear as a motivator.

Sessions can be after school, weekend, or evening, and can be adult only or with your children

Community Groups, Private group or one-on-one, and Public Workshops

Utilising the Kidpower for Young Children programme, we tailor to meet the specific needs of you and/or your group.

Check out our fullr ange of programmes here

Our primary prevention programmes support communities to foster healthy relationships free from harm, with the aim of preventing Bullying, protecting and respecting healthy boundaries for touch, games, and affection, de-escalating conflict that can escalate resulting in harmful behaviour, supporting people to interact safely online, and prevent sexual violence and family violence.