Perfect for Red Nose Day Thursday 27 August 2026
By BEST Childcare Consulting
Every baby and child is deeply loved, and every family deserves to feel informed, supported and surrounded by compassion. For families who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth or the death of a baby or child, grief does not disappear when everyday life resumes. It may remain quietly present through anniversaries, pregnancies, family milestones and the ordinary moments their child should have shared.
Held on Thursday 27 August 2026, Red Nose Day is Red Nose Australia’s major annual fundraising and awareness campaign. Funds raised support lifesaving research, safe sleep and safer pregnancy education, and specialised bereavement services for families affected by pregnancy loss, stillbirth and the death of a baby or child.
For early childhood education and care services, Red Nose Day is not an occasion that requires programming activities for children. Instead, it provides an opportunity for educators, leaders and approved providers to strengthen safe sleep practices, educate families using current evidence, support those affected by loss and raise funds respectfully for an organisation whose work is closely connected to the wellbeing of babies, children and families.
Why Red Nose Day Matters in Early Childhood Education and Care
Early childhood educators occupy a position of significant trust within the lives of families. Services care for babies during sleep and rest, communicate regularly with parents about children’s routines and development, and often support families through pregnancy, birth, illness, bereavement and major life transitions. This means educators can play an important role in sharing reliable safe sleep information, explaining why evidence-based practices are followed and helping families locate specialised support when needed. Under the National Quality Framework, services must adequately supervise sleeping and resting children, maintain sleep and rest policies and procedures, conduct required risk assessments and ensure practice reflects current recognised health guidance.
Red Nose Day also reminds services that conversations about baby and child loss must be handled with sensitivity. Families may have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, sudden unexpected death in infancy or the death of an older child without the service being aware. A cheerful fundraising display or public invitation to share personal stories may therefore affect families in ways educators did not anticipate. Thoughtful consultation, gentle language and clearly available support information allow services to participate without placing emotional pressure on families.
What Childcare Centre Staff Can Do
Review Safe Sleep and Rest Practices
Red Nose Day provides a timely prompt for approved providers, nominated supervisors and educators to review their service’s sleep and rest practices. This should include observing how babies are placed into cots, checking sleep spaces for hazards, reviewing supervision arrangements and ensuring each educator understands the service’s policy, risk assessment and documentation requirements.
A review should not rely only on whether practices have “always been done that way.” Current Red Nose recommendations, ACECQA guidance, the needs of individual children and the service’s identified risks should inform daily decisions. Safe practice must remain consistent across rooms, educators, relief staff and different times of the day.
Refresh Staff Knowledge
Services can schedule a staff discussion, professional development session or practical refresher focused on infant sleep safety. Educators should be able to explain the reasons behind each safe sleep recommendation, recognise unsafe sleep environments and respond appropriately to family requests that may conflict with current health advice or service requirements.
Leaders should also confirm that new, casual and agency educators receive sleep and rest information before becoming responsible for supervising sleeping children. Training records, meeting minutes and reflective discussions can provide evidence that safe sleep knowledge is actively maintained rather than addressed only during induction.
Review the Sleep and Rest Risk Assessment
Services are required to complete a sleep and rest risk assessment at least every 12 months and whenever circumstances arise that may affect children’s safety during sleep and rest. The assessment should reflect the service’s actual environment, staffing, ages of children, cot arrangements, supervision methods, emergency procedures and any hazards associated with sleep equipment or products.
Red Nose Day can be used as a reminder to check whether the assessment remains current and whether actions identified through the assessment have been completed. Educators should understand the risks recorded in the document and how the service’s procedures control those risks in everyday practice.
Check Cots, Mattresses and Sleep Environments
Inspect every cot, mattress, sleeping surface and sleep space. Mattresses should be firm, flat, well-fitting, clean and in good condition. Cots should remain free from pillows, cot bumpers, loose bedding, soft toys and other items that could cover a baby’s face or obstruct breathing.
The sleep space should allow educators to supervise effectively and access each child quickly. Services should also check that sleep products meet applicable mandatory standards and that recalled, damaged, modified or inappropriate products are not being used.
Strengthen Sleep Supervision
Sleeping children must remain adequately supervised. Educators should know where each child is sleeping, maintain clear visibility and hearing, physically check children in accordance with the service’s risk assessment and procedures, and remain alert to changes in breathing, skin colour, body position, temperature or behaviour.
Physical checks should be meaningful observations of the individual child rather than a documentation exercise. The frequency and method of checks should be determined through the service’s risk assessment, considering each child’s age, health, mobility, sleep environment and identified risks. Red Nose emphasises that close supervision supports consistent adherence to safe sleep practices and enables educators to respond when a child’s condition changes.
Provide Families with Reliable Information
Services can share Red Nose resources through newsletters, enrolment information, parent libraries, foyer displays, emails and digital communication platforms. Information should link directly to Red Nose Australia so families can access current advice rather than copied posters or outdated material saved within the service.
Safe sleep information can also be discussed during enrolment and orientation, particularly where the service cares for babies. Educators can explain how children are placed to sleep, what is permitted in a cot, how supervision occurs and why service practices may differ from those used at home.
Respond Respectfully to Family Requests
Families may request that a baby be placed on their side or stomach, use a pillow, sleep with a soft toy or follow another home routine. Educators should respond respectfully and without judgement while clearly explaining the service’s responsibility to follow its policies, risk assessment, regulatory requirements and current recognised health guidance.
Where a request relates to a diagnosed medical condition, the service should obtain appropriate written medical guidance and consider how the child’s health needs can be safely addressed. Informal family preferences should not override practices established to protect children from foreseeable harm.
Fundraise Thoughtfully
Services may choose to support Red Nose Day through a staff morning tea, wearing red, accepting voluntary donations, creating an official fundraising page or sharing the Red Nose Day campaign with families. Participation should remain voluntary, and families should never feel pressured to donate or disclose whether they have experienced loss.
Any communication should explain that fundraising supports research, education and bereavement services. Fundraising activities should be simple, respectful and appropriate for the service community rather than turning pregnancy, infant or child loss into a light-hearted theme.
Supporting Families
Families affected by miscarriage, stillbirth or the death of a baby or child need compassion rather than assumptions, advice or attempts to make their grief more comfortable for others. Educators can acknowledge the family’s loss, use the child’s name when the family does, listen without rushing the conversation and respect that grief may re-emerge around anniversaries, enrolments, pregnancies and significant developmental milestones. Staff should avoid statements such as “everything happens for a reason,” “at least you can try again” or “you need to stay strong,” which can unintentionally minimise the family’s experience. The service’s role is not to provide grief counselling but to respond with care, offer practical flexibility where possible and connect families with qualified support. Red Nose provides specialised bereavement support free of charge, including a 24-hour Grief and Loss Support Line on 1300 308 307, counselling, peer support, support groups and information for bereaved parents, siblings, relatives, friends and colleagues.
Services should also recognise that an educator or staff member may be affected by pregnancy, infant or child loss. Leaders can provide privacy, compassionate leave information, reasonable workplace adjustments and access to professional support. Red Nose also offers grief and loss information and customised training for professionals and workplaces.
Current Red Nose Safe Sleep Recommendations
Always Place Baby on Their Back to Sleep
Babies should be placed on their back for every sleep from birth. Back sleeping helps keep the airway clear and reduces the risk of sudden unexpected death, suffocation and other sleeping accidents. Once a baby can roll independently, educators should continue placing them on their back initially but should not restrain them or repeatedly roll them back during sleep unless individual medical advice directs otherwise.
Keep Baby’s Head and Face Uncovered
A baby’s face and head must remain uncovered during sleep. Bedding should be positioned safely and the cot should remain free from loose items that could cover the baby’s face. Keeping the head and face uncovered helps maintain a clear airway and reduces the risk of overheating and suffocation.
Keep Baby Smoke-Free Before and After Birth
Babies should be protected from cigarette smoke and vaping emissions during pregnancy and after birth. Early childhood services must maintain smoke-free and vape-free environments and can share respectful, evidence-based support information with families rather than using judgemental language.
Provide a Safe Sleep Environment Day and Night
Babies should sleep in a safe cot on a firm, flat, clean and well-fitting mattress. The sleep space should be free from pillows, bumpers, doonas, loose bedding, soft toys and other objects that could create suffocation, entrapment or overheating risks. Safe sleep practices apply to every sleep, including short daytime sleeps at the service.
Sleep Baby in Their Own Safe Sleep Space in the Caregiver’s Room
At home, Red Nose recommends that babies sleep in their own safe sleep space in the same room as their parent or caregiver for at least the first six months. In an early childhood service, babies should similarly sleep in an approved safe sleep space where educators can supervise and respond effectively.
Breastfeed Baby Where Possible
Red Nose includes breastfeeding among its six safe sleep recommendations. Services can support breastfeeding families through welcoming feeding spaces, safe storage and handling of expressed breastmilk, responsive feeding practices and respectful communication. Families who do not breastfeed should continue to receive the same warmth, support and non-judgemental care.
QIP write up
Quality Area 1 – Educational Program and Practice
Embedded Practice
Educators had embedded responsive caregiving and safe sleep knowledge within daily practice by observing each child’s individual cues, documenting sleep patterns and communicating regularly with families. Sleep and rest were treated as important aspects of children’s wellbeing rather than interruptions to the educational program.
Critical Reflection
The team had critically reflected on whether routines were being shaped primarily by room timetables or by each child’s individual needs. Educators reviewed how family information, children’s cues, current safe sleep guidance and service responsibilities could be balanced without compromising safety.
Meaningful Engagement with Families and Community
Families had contributed information about their child’s routines, comfort needs, health requirements and changing sleep patterns. Educators had explained service practices clearly and shared current Red Nose information, creating continuity through respectful communication rather than expecting home and service routines to be identical.
Quality Area 2 – Children’s Health and Safety
Embedded Practice
Current safe sleep requirements had been embedded in everyday practice. Babies were consistently placed on their backs in safe, clear sleep spaces, and educators maintained active supervision and meaningful physical checks in accordance with the service’s risk assessment and procedures.
Critical Reflection
The service had reviewed its sleep and rest risk assessment, supervision practices, cot environments, documentation and educator knowledge. The review identified where routines had become automatic and strengthened expectations that each physical check involved a genuine assessment of the child’s breathing, colour, position, temperature and overall wellbeing.
Meaningful Engagement with Families and Community
The service had shared Red Nose information through enrolment discussions, newsletters and family displays. When family requests differed from current safe sleep guidance, educators had responded respectfully, explained the service’s obligations and worked collaboratively to identify safe approaches that supported the child’s individual needs.
Quality Area 3 – Physical Environment
Embedded Practice
Sleep environments had been arranged to support safety, comfort, supervision and rapid educator access. Cots, mattresses and bedding were routinely inspected, and sleep spaces remained free from loose objects, soft furnishings and hazards that could obstruct a baby’s breathing or affect educator visibility.
Critical Reflection
Educators had evaluated whether the physical layout genuinely supported effective supervision at all times, including during staff breaks, room transitions and periods of competing demands. Changes were made to cot placement, lighting, storage and staff positioning where environmental factors had limited visibility or accessibility.
Meaningful Engagement with Families and Community
Families had been shown the service’s sleep environments during orientation and were provided with clear explanations about cot set-up, bedding, supervision and safe sleep requirements. Current Red Nose and ACECQA resources had been used to support transparent, evidence-based conversations.
Quality Area 4 – Staffing Arrangements
Embedded Practice
All permanent, casual, relief and agency educators had received clear instruction about the service’s sleep and rest requirements before supervising sleeping children. Responsibilities for maintaining supervision and completing physical checks had remained clear during breaks, transitions and changes in staffing.
Critical Reflection
Leaders had reflected on whether all educators could confidently explain safe sleep practices rather than simply follow instructions. Knowledge gaps were addressed through team discussions, scenario-based learning, practical demonstrations and review of current Red Nose and ACECQA guidance.
Meaningful Engagement with Families and Community
Educators had accessed recognised professional resources and shared consistent information with families. Leadership had explored Red Nose training and advice options to strengthen whole-team knowledge and prevent conflicting messages from being given across different rooms or educators.
Quality Area 5 – Relationships with Children
Embedded Practice
Educators had responded sensitively to children’s tiredness cues and provided calm, predictable transitions into sleep and rest. Children were comforted through responsive relationships while safe sleep boundaries were maintained, helping them experience rest as secure, respectful and emotionally supportive.
Critical Reflection
The team had reflected on how adult expectations, room schedules and pressure to complete routines could influence responses to children who resisted sleep or required additional reassurance. Practice was adjusted to preserve children’s dignity, attachment needs and individual rhythms without compromising safety.
Meaningful Engagement with Families and Community
Families had shared information about familiar settling approaches, comfort signals and recent changes affecting their child. Educators used this information to provide continuity wherever safe and appropriate and communicated openly when home practices could not be replicated within the service.
Quality Area 6 – Collaborative Partnerships with Families and Communities
Embedded Practice
Safe sleep education and compassionate family support had been incorporated into enrolment, orientation and ongoing communication. Families were regularly directed to current Red Nose information rather than receiving advice based on individual educator opinion or outdated practice.
Critical Reflection
The service had considered how communication about safe sleep could unintentionally appear judgemental or dismissive of family beliefs and experiences. Educators refined their language to explain the reasons for service practices while respecting families as knowledgeable partners in their child’s care.
Meaningful Engagement with Families and Community
The service had promoted Red Nose’s safe sleep advice, bereavement services and Red Nose Day campaign. Families were offered voluntary opportunities to access information, donate or participate in fundraising without pressure to disclose personal experiences of miscarriage, stillbirth or child loss.
Quality Area 7 – Governance and Leadership
Embedded Practice
Leadership had ensured that sleep and rest policies, procedures, risk assessments, inductions and daily practices reflected current legislative requirements and recognised health guidance. Regular review dates and clear responsibilities supported consistent implementation throughout the service.
Critical Reflection
The approved provider, nominated supervisor and educational leader had examined whether documented procedures accurately reflected what occurred in practice. Observations, educator feedback, family questions and current ACECQA and Red Nose guidance informed changes to supervision, documentation and professional learning.
Meaningful Engagement with Families and Community
Leadership had communicated policy expectations transparently and invited family feedback about sleep and rest arrangements. Partnerships with Red Nose and other recognised authorities strengthened the service’s ability to provide current information, support bereaved families and contribute respectfully to Red Nose Day.
Links and Resources
Red Nose Day
Red Nose Day 2026 – Official Campaign Website
https://www.rednoseday.org.au/
About Red Nose Day
https://www.rednoseday.org.au/about
Red Nose Australia
https://rednose.org.au/
Fundraise for Red Nose
https://rednose.org.au/support-red-nose/fundraise/
Safe Sleep Information
Red Nose – Six Safe Sleep Recommendations
https://rednose.org.au/safe-sleep-and-safer-pregnancy/pregnancy-to-birth/six-safe-sleep-recommendations/
Red Nose – Safe Sleep and Safer Pregnancy Advice Hub
https://rednose.org.au/safe-sleep-and-safer-pregnancy/overview/
Red Nose – Newborn to One Year Information
https://rednose.org.au/safe-sleep-and-safer-pregnancy/newborn-to-1-year/
Red Nose – Why Babies Should Sleep on Their Back
https://rednose.org.au/safe-sleep-and-safer-pregnancy/newborn-to-1-year/why-should-you-sleep-your-baby-on-their-back/
Red Nose – Room Sharing
https://rednose.org.au/safe-sleep-and-safer-pregnancy/newborn-to-1-year/room-sharing/
Red Nose – Safe Sleep Resources
https://rednose.org.au/resources/
Red Nose Safe Sleep Advice Line
Phone: 1300 998 698, Monday to Friday, 9.00 am–5.00 pm AEST
Grief and Loss Support
Red Nose – Grief and Loss Support
https://rednose.org.au/grief-and-loss-support/overview/
Red Nose – Find Support
https://rednose.org.au/grief-and-loss-support/find-support/
Red Nose – Bereaved Parents
https://rednose.org.au/grief-and-loss-support/bereaved-parents/
Red Nose – Supporting Bereaved Siblings and Children
https://rednose.org.au/grief-and-loss-support/bereaved-family-and-friends/bereaved-siblings-and-children/
Red Nose – Customised Grief and Loss Training
https://rednose.org.au/for-professionals/customised-grief-and-loss-training/
Red Nose 24-Hour Grief and Loss Support Line
Phone: 1300 308 307
Early Childhood Sleep and Rest Requirements
ACECQA – Sleep and Rest Legislative Requirements
https://www.acecqa.gov.au/QA2-information-sheet-sleep-and-rest-legislative-requirements
ACECQA – Sleep and Rest Policy and Procedure Guidelines
https://www.acecqa.gov.au/media/31986
ACECQA – Sleep and Rest Risk Assessment Template
https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-09/Sleep_restriskassessment_template_1_0.pdf
ACECQA – Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety
https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-quality-standard/quality-area-2-childrens-health-and-safety
ACECQA – Element 2.1.1: Wellbeing and Comfort
https://www.acecqa.gov.au/element-211-wellbeing-and-comfort
Red Nose – Supervising Sleeping and Resting Children in Early Childhood Education
https://rednose.org.au/safe-sleep-and-safer-pregnancy/articles/ensuring-safe-sleep-best-practices-for-supervising-sleeping-and-resting-children-in-early-childhood-education/
BEST Childcare Consulting
Red Nose Day holds a different meaning for every family. For some, it is an opportunity to learn more about safe sleep and help fund lifesaving research. For others, it is a deeply personal reminder of a baby or child who is loved, remembered and forever part of their family.
Early childhood services can make a meaningful difference by following current safe sleep practices, communicating with families respectfully and ensuring compassionate support is easy to find. We may not always know which families or colleagues have experienced loss, but we can create environments where grief is acknowledged, evidence is shared carefully and no one is expected to carry their experience alone.
By supporting Red Nose Day, reviewing our practices and strengthening family education, we help protect little lives while standing beside families experiencing unimaginable loss.
As always, use these inspirations to lead your service throughout the whole year in your everyday practices to truly earn an exceeding rating.
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