Child protection is a community responsibility. Statutory bodies (aka "the welfare")are the pointy end of the stick. They come in after an act of child abuse occurs. The ideal situation is not to need child protection statutory bodies. If all community members took responsibility for placing child protection high on the daily agenda we may just reach the place of under working our child protection workers.

NAPCAN Australia works to encourage child friendly practice. They set challenges for individuals, communities and businesses. Eager to protect all kids and reduce the staggering claim that a child in Australia is abused every 13 minutes, I support their endeavors and loan them my full commitment.

Child friendly practice is, unbelievably, an area that many parents have told me they do not have time for. They wrongly think that they have to become radical, vocal and give up their day jobs. Child friendly practice is something we can all do without changing our lives or going back to University to learn theories, skills and mind twisting histories. Child friendly practice is an attitude that many already display without realizing what they are doing. Child friendly practice helps keep kids safe.

NAPCAN’s Child friendly Challenge for INDIVIDUALS advocates the following simple tips that EVERYONE can do easily and quickly:

1. Smile at a child - you were a child once

2. Let a parent with kids ahead of you in the queue

3. Donate your clothing, furniture or toys for use by another family

4. Cook a meal for parents with a newborn baby

5. Tell a child a story from your childhood

How easy is that? Take the Child Friendly Challenge today and let kids know that their business is our business because kids count.

Have you got any other simple child friendly tips that people can do to help protect kids?