IMPACT to deliver protective behaviours book for Bundaberg children

IMPACT Community Services’ Intensive Family Support (IFS) program will deliver a new protective behaviours book called ‘Keeping Kids Safe in Bundaberg’ to help local children recognise and respond to early warning signs of harm.

The $68,000 project is made possible through a generous $26,000 contribution from the St John’s Grace Fund, with the remaining funding provided by IMPACT Community Services’ IFS program. The book will be developed in collaboration with Bundaberg children, traditional owners, CALD communities and local organisations.

Staci Rae, Manager of IMPACT Community Services’ IFS program in Bundaberg, said the idea of the book began after attending the National Child Protection Conference in Brisbane, where Staci connected with author Andrea Musulin from Child Focused Safety Services.

“As Andrea was going through her presentation, she said you could even be in Bundaberg. Out of all the towns, that’s the town she mentioned,” Ms Rae said.

The comment struck a chord with Ms Rae, highlighting the urgent need to address child safety challenges in Bundaberg.

“We have a serious child safety concern in Bundaberg with paedophilia, so it resonated with me that we need to help support our community, give our local children the voices that they need.”

The book will be written in rhyme and illustrated by Safy Tashkandy, who also illustrated Ms Musulin’s previous book, Keeping Kids Safe in Tom Price and Paraburdoo. This is the first time Ms Musulin and her team have worked on a project outside Western Australia.

Ms Rae said the creative team will visit Bundaberg to photograph local landmarks and consult with the community, with illustrations reflecting places children identify with.

“They’ll come, they’ll take photos of meaningful locations, and then they’ll go back and draw them so it actually looks like what local children would resonate with,” she said.

Ms Rae said the book will give children the language they need to stay safe and grow with confidence.

“It is important to teach children the words they need to use to protect themselves,” she said.

“This book will support our local children to have a voice to speak up and give them the tools to help them flourish into adulthood.”

Although designed for primary school-aged children, Ms Rae said the book’s messages are relevant to all age groups.

“We’re hoping that with the parents and school people engaging with the children, that they will be able to take something away for themselves and use that to empower them too,” she said.

Consultation will begin in late November, with community engagement sessions planned for early 2026.

IMPACT has funding to print 1,000 copies and is aiming for 3,000. Copies will be distributed to schools, libraries and organisations where children are present. A digital version will also be available on IMPACT’s website to boost accessibility.

Ms Rae said the official launch is planned for Child Protection Week in September 2026, with a community rollout at Rainbow Day.

“I’m hoping to launch into Rainbow Day with the book so everyone gets a copy at the event, and then our activities will be framed around the book,” she said.

For more information or to get involved in the project, contact Staci Rae at IMPACT Community Services via srae@impact.org.au or 0436 697 813.