Early Childhood

Supporting sexuality education in early childhood settings

Sexuality education is essential to every child’s developing understanding of their sense of self and the world around them. Providing age-appropriate, comprehensive sexuality education is a responsibility shared by educators of young children with parents and carers. Early childhood educators can work cooperatively with parents and carers to promote healthy attitudes and understandings in children, and help children develop the skills to communicate confidently about their bodies. When children can talk about sexuality with trusted adults such as parents, carers and teachers, and these adults respond positively, this open communication about sexuality supports healthy development and helps to keep children safe.

Young children can:

have accurate information about human development
feel good about their bodies and themselves
appreciate and accept individual differences
understand and accept with confidence physical and emotional changes that occur as they grow
be able to communicate the names of all parts of the body
learn to identify public and private body parts, places and behaviours
understand the rules about touch and therefore be less vulnerable to exploitation and sexual abuse
learn to identify safety networks to ask for help if needed.

FPQ can support sexuality education in early childhood settings through working with early childhood staff, parents and carers. This can include providing:

Professional development for early childhood professionals
Professional development can increase understanding of sexual development in early childhood, and facilitate the development and implementation of sexuality education programs within early childhood settings.
Parent/carer education programs
Supporting and encouraging parents/carers to begin talking about sexuality with their children, this program discusses sexual development and curiosity in young children, and a range of strategies which can be used to discuss sexuality with children, respond to curiosity about sexuality, answer children’s questions and guide healthy development.

Cost: $150 per hour

For further information please contact your nearest FPQ office.

FPQ produces resources to support early childhood professionals, parents and carers to provide sexuality education and support healthy sexual development.