Free to Be Me

Centres will be supported step-by-step to review your policies and practices, spaces and teaching and learning activities.

You will build a Quality Improvement Plan as you go, so you can integrate changes into your existing Quality Improvement Plan.

Early childhood educators will be provided with professional development training and tools to critically reflect on and strengthen their professional practice using a gender and diversity lens.

Both centres and educators that finish the program will receive recognition professional development certificate (with PD hours) or a centre promotion kit.

By joining, you will be part of a network of early childhood education and care centres that are working to teach and model respectful relationships to children so they can grow into adults that are equally valued, heard and respected, and have equal access to opportunities.

From a very young age, children begin to form ideas about what it means to be a boy or a girl. For example, a statement like ‘boys don’t cry’ sends a message that boys shouldn’t express their feelings. These gender stereotypes can be harmful because they make children feel that they must look, feel, or act a certain way.   

Challenging gender stereotypes has many benefits. It can help children to have respectful and equal relationships, express emotions in a healthy way, and promotes gender equity. Research tells us that set gender roles can lead to gender inequality – one of the key factors leading to violence against women.   

The Royal Commission into Family Violence identified early childhood education and care centres as an important place for the primary prevention of violence against women.

Early childhood education and care centres can engage in primary prevention by creating teaching and learning environments that develop children’s understanding of gender, gender equity, positive social norms and respectful relationships.

Change the Story: A shared framework for the primary prevention of violence against women in Australia (2nd Edition)

The F2BM program supports centres and educators to take actions to reduce the gendered drivers of violence against women and girls by:

• Building new social norms that foster personal identities not constrained by rigid gender stereotypes.
• Supporting men and boys to develop healthy masculinities and positive, supportive male peer relationships.
• Challenging the condoning of violence against women.
• Promoting women’s independence and decision-making in public life and relationships.

Free From Violence Monitoring and Evaluation Strategic Framework

The F2BM program works towards addressing and assessing progress towards the Free From Violence strategy’s outcomes and objectives including:

• Victorians hold attitudes and beliefs that reject gender inequality and family violence.
• Victorians actively challenge attitudes and behaviours that enable violence.
• Victorian homes, organisations and communities are safe and inclusive.
• All Victorians live and practise confident and respectful relationships.

Together for Equality and Respect (TFER) Strategy: Preventing Violence Against Women in Melbourne’s East

AccessHC is a proud partner of the TFER Strategy. The F2BM program will contribute towards the shared strategic direction and outcomes of the strategy to:

• Lead and Achieve Change.
• Adopt and Contribute to the Evidence Base.
• Build Organisational and Workforce Excellence.
• Strengthen and Expand the Partnership.

Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF)

The F2BM program incorporates the practice principles of:

• Respectful Relationships and Responsive Engagement.
• Equity and Diversity.
• High Expectations for Every Child.
• Integrated Teaching and Learning Approaches.
• Assessment for Learning and Development.
• Partnerships with Families.
• Partnerships with Professionals.
• Reflective Practice.

National Quality Framework (NQF)

F2BM aligns with the National Belonging, Being and Becoming Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. It supports early childhood centres to strengthen their actions in addressing the framework’s learning outcomes including children:

• Having a strong sense of identity.
• Having a strong sense of wellbeing.
• Being connected with and contributing to their world.
• Being confident and involved learners.
• Being Effective Communicators.