It’s an ongoing debate within early childhood education.

Some parents love being sent photographs of their little ones throughout the day. Others would prefer educators to focus on caring for their children.

Across daycare centres and preschools, it has become normal — even expected — for parents to have access to an online app, such as Xplor or OWNA, which allows educators to post a feed of snapshots showing what their child is learning, playing and eating.

But is it necessary — and what about digital safety?

Now, the Federal, State and Territory Governments have come together to clarify guidelines for taking photos of children in childcare. 

Working with the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), long daycare centres, preschools and kindergartens are encouraged to adopt the new National Model Code and Guidelines. These are an interim measure while government child-care safety reforms are being worked out.

The guidelines include restrictions on using personal electronics to take photographs of children — instead a “service-issued device” must be used. 

Personal electronic devices that can take or record images, including smartphones and smartwatches, should not be carried when providing early childhood care, unless for “essential purposes”, such as emergencies and health reasons. 

The guidelines also dictate how images are stored and the use of ‘inappropriate’ images. For example, if a child is in a state of undress.

The ACECQA notes, there are benefits to taking photos of children to share with their families.

“This type of communication can and does play a role in engaging families and carers in a child’s education and care experiences, particularly where there may be low levels of literacy or English is not a first language.” 

There are downsides. Constant documentation can ‘reduce educators’ ability to supervise, interact and engage with children.

In Kiama, early childhood education services have already begun exploring their electronics policies, with the support of families. 

The Kiama Preschool use the OWNA childcare app to share updates but not to post photographs. Instead, every child has a scrapbook, which contains printed photographs of their activities. At the end of term, kids take the books home to show their families. 

Dido Street Early Learning Centre (ELC) road-tested a “no technology day”, during which the educators did not take any photographs of children, even on service-issued devices. The feedback from educators and children was positive.

Staff reported feeling calmer without the distraction of needing to take photographs and were able to facilitate more meaningful interactions with the children.

Dido Street ELC is exploring further opportunities to promote a healthy balance of technology-use in the centre with input from families.