Creating Emotionally Safe Kindergartens
Trauma-Informed Strategies for Behaviour Support
Practical, Whole-Team Professional Learning for Victorian Kindergartens
Available through Victoria's School Readiness Funding (SRF) Menu
Supporting young children's emotional development, responding to behaviours of concern and creating safe, inclusive kindergarten environments requires a consistent, confident and well-supported educator team.
MOAT's full-day professional learning program provides practical, evidence-informed strategies to help kindergarten educators understand children's emotional and behavioural responses, recognise signs of distress and respond using trauma-informed approaches.
Designed specifically for kindergarten settings, the program supports educators to build emotionally safe learning environments while strengthening their confidence in responding to challenging situations.
Kindergarten educators are increasingly required to support children experiencing:
Emotional dysregulation and difficulty managing strong emotions.
Behavioural escalation, aggression and other behaviours of concern.
Anxiety, distress and difficulty managing transitions.
Trauma-related responses and heightened sensitivity to stress.
Difficulties with social interactions and peer relationships.
Challenges communicating their needs and emotions.
Difficulties engaging safely in group learning environments.
These challenges can also affect educator confidence, team wellbeing and the overall kindergarten environment.
Understanding the reasons behind behaviour is essential to developing effective, supportive responses.
Core Learning Components
1. Brain Development, Stress and Emotional Regulation
Educators explore key brain structures and how stress, trauma and mental illness influence behaviour, learning and engagement.
2. Mental Illness in Early Childhood
The training explicitly addresses:
depression in young children (emotional, cognitive, behavioural and physical symptoms)
anxiety and internalising behaviours
how low mood, fatigue, withdrawal and worry affect participation
sub-clinical strategies for supporting children experiencing mental illness
3. Early Experiences and Behaviour Templates
Educators examine how early relationships shape children’s expectations of adults, stress tolerance and behavioural responses.
4. Understanding and Responding to Behaviours of Concern
The session provides a practical framework for interpreting behaviour as communication.
Key elements:
internal and external antecedents
escalation patterns and the ABC model of behavioural change
responding with predictability, calmness and consistency
reducing triggers and supporting recovery after stress
5. Trauma-Informed Strategies
Educators learn developmentally informed strategies including:
rhythmic and sensory-based regulation
predictable routines and visual supports
relational safety and attuned responses
matching support to a child’s arousal state
6. Behaviour Support Planning
The training introduces:
identifying triggers, escalation cues and defusers
understanding behavioural functions
designing supportive, non-punitive behaviour support plans
whole-team consistency
7. Staff Wellbeing and Sustainable Practice
Recognising the emotional load of supporting children experiencing trauma and mental illness, the session concludes with information for educators’ self care:
stress awareness
compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma
practical self-care strategies
building supportive team cultures
Designed for Whole-Kindergarten Staff Teams
The program is designed for delivery to complete kindergarten staff teams, including:
Early childhood teachers.
Kindergarten educators.
Educational leaders.
Inclusion support staff.
Service managers and leadership teams.
Whole-team participation supports a shared understanding of children's behaviour and encourages consistent approaches across the service.
The training incorporates practical discussion, relevant scenarios and opportunities for educators to consider how the strategies apply within their own kindergarten environment.
Session Information
Program: “Creating Emotionally Safe Kindergartens: Trauma-Informed Strategies for Behaviour Support”
Duration: Full-day professional learning
Audience: Whole-kindergarten staff teams
Delivery: Face-to-face at your kindergarten or an agreed training venue
Location: Metropolitan and regional Victoria
Funding: Available through the Victorian School Readiness Funding Menu
All training resources are provided digitally.
Built on MOAT's Successful Victorian Schools Professional Learning Program
MOAT has an established history of delivering highly successful professional learning to Victorian schools.
Our Understanding and Responding to Students program has been delivered to more than 40 Victorian schools, supporting staff to better understand emotional dysregulation, behavioural escalation and trauma-informed responses.
In 2026 we received 175 school staff evaluations:
• 99.4% indicated improved understanding
• 97.1% reported increased confidence
• 99.4% identified practical strategies to use after the session
• 98.9% intended to implement the learning
• 98.8% would recommend the session to colleagues
Our Kindergarten SRF program builds on these established approaches, adapted specifically for early childhood education and the developmental needs of young children.
The kindergarten program incorporates age-appropriate strategies, practical scenarios and approaches relevant to the everyday experiences of kindergarten educators.
Evaluation results above relate to MOAT's Schools professional learning program.
