Child Abuse Prevention Service (CAPS) is Australia’s leading not-for-profit organisation dedicated exclusively to the prevention of child sexual abuse. Established in 1973, CAPS has spent fifty years building evidence-based programs, strong community partnerships, and thought leadership to ensure that every child grows up safe from harm. Its long history makes it one of the most experienced and trusted child abuse prevention agencies in the country, with a unique focus on child sexual abuse as both a social justice issue and a public health priority. Based on recent tragedies in childcare centres in Melbourne and Sydney, along with national research, it shows that more than one in four children experience sexual abuse, revealing deep gaps in the systems of protection.

For fifty years, Child Abuse Prevention Service (CAPS) has been Australia’s only national charity dedicated solely to preventing child sexual abuse. At the heart of CAPS’ work is Safe Communities, Safe Children (SCSC), a world-first program that engages educators, parents and preschoolers together. Evaluations show powerful results: children practise safety strategies in daily life, 100% of parents recommend the program, and educators report lasting culture change in their centres.

In the past two years, CAPS has transformed from a small, inner-west Sydney charity into a partner of choice across greater Sydney and regional NSW. With councils including Cumberland, Fairfield, Ryde and Liverpool, SCSC has been embedded into local community safety strategies. And for the first time in 50-years, rural and remote councils — Goulburn Mulwaree, Dubbo and Gunnedah — have invested in prevention. These communities are not only geographically distant; they are also severely under-resourced and under-represented in meeting even the most basic Child Safe Standards. Bringing prevention to these regions is a critical step in closing long-standing gaps in child safety.

Community and corporate partners are also stepping forward. In 2025, Bendigo Bank’s Community Bank Homebush & North Ryde partnered with CAPS to launch SCSC into two early learning centres, supporting more than 200 families each year and funding an evidence-based study of the program’s effectiveness. The initiative was celebrated publicly with students, educators, councillors and MPs, showcasing how business and community can unite to protect children and strengthen local networks.

These partnerships demonstrate how communities can mobilise around prevention. Councils, early learning centres, migrant services, NGOs and businesses are not just hosting delivery — they are co-funding, endorsing, and embedding CAPS’ programs into their safeguarding frameworks. This ripple effect is changing the way communities talk about child safety and equipping adults everywhere with the tools to protect children.

With community trust, political recognition, and urgent public demand, CAPS is proving that prevention is achievable, scalable, and inclusive. Together with its partners, CAPS are showing that every community can play a role in creating a safer future for every child.

For more information about Child Abuse Prevention Service, visit caps.org.au.