Working
together for
Child Safety
About MACS CARE
WHAT IS MACS CARE?
MACS Care is the Child Safety and Wellbeing Framework in action. We deliberately chose the language of “care” as it reflects the heart of our Catholic mission. Care is an active process, where responsibility is shared, and action is taken to ensure that every child feels safe, heard and supported.
MACS Care focuses on embedding the Victorian Child Safe Standards and strengthening trust in Catholic Education. As part of the 11 Months, 11 Standards campaign, each month is dedicated to one of the 11 Child Safe Standards and is supported by a range of MACS Care resources and tools.
Schools are able to use MACS Care to enhance staff professional learning, share the child safety work of the school with their parent and carer community, and ensure compliance with child safety requirements.
MACS Care is designed to strengthen child safety in daily practice, school culture and leadership. We welcome you on your MACS Care journey.
11 Months, 11 Standards
Keep up-to-date and find out more about Child Safe Standard 8
MACS Commitment to
Child Safety
Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) has zero tolerance for any form of child abuse and is deeply committed to upholding and embedding the highest standards of child safety across our schools.
We are guided by our Catholic faith and the unique and unrepeatable dignity of every person in our care. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive and protective environment where every child can feel and be safe.
We are responsible for inspiring and enabling every child to flourish and enrich the world.
Child safety is a shared responsibility between MACS, its employees including its Board, Executive Leadership Team, School Principals, teachers, staff and the wider community.
‘I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full’
(Jn 10: 10)
Print out the PDF to display in your school!Child Safety in the 2025 Annual Report
“As a foundation principal, I’ve found the MACS Care framework to be an important support. It’s not something we approach as a checklist – child safety can never be reduced to compliance alone. But it provides a practical and user-friendly way to engage with child safety. It has provided reassurance that we’re on the right track, giving staff a shared language and confidence to have ongoing conversations.”
Daniel Bermingham, Foundation Principal
St Padre Pio Catholic Primary School
Artwork commissioned for MACS by Peek Whurrong woman and artist, Bayley Mifsud of the Maar nation (Warrnambool).
The focal point of the artwork is a meeting place to represent Naarm (Melbourne), the home base of MACS’ operations. Throughout the artwork are many smaller meeting places to represent each of the schools that form the MACS’ network.
At the top of the artwork is a journey line, representing MACS’ current journey of reconciliation. In the bottom left of the artwork are two more journey lines to recognise the past and future as the journey to reconciliation is ongoing.
On the left of the artwork are seven connected meeting places representing the MACS’ learning programs.
The colours, chosen in consultation with MACS’ representatives, are vibrant to represent the youth that the MACS’ network aims to educate and care for.