For Parents and Carers

Thank you for taking a moment to read this.

Your child's centre has partnered with EEVA, Early Education Video Agency, to capture photos and video that show what life is really like in their programs, and how they care for children.

We know that when your child is involved in any filming or photography, safety and privacy come first. This page explains, in plain language, how we work and what your choices are.

If you are ever unsure about anything here, you can always speak to your centre first.

Who we are

EEVA is a specialist video and photography partner for early childhood services around Australia.

We work only with organisations that care for children, such as childcare centres, kindergartens and schools, and we follow strict child safe and privacy standards in every project.

Our job is to help centres communicate clearly with families and their community, without ever putting children at risk.

Why the centre is filming

Each centre has its own reasons for filming, which may include:

Showing families what daily routines and learning experiences look like
Updating their website, enrolment information or social media
Sharing success stories with their community
Creating internal training material for educators

The centre will tell you exactly how they plan to use any photos or video before they ask for your consent.

What happens on filming day

On the day:

Our crew will arrive as guests and sign in like any other visitor
Educators remain fully in charge of the room, routines and children
We work around normal activities, rather than asking children to "perform"
Children are always supervised by staff, not by our crew
If a child looks uncomfortable, upset or does not want to be involved, we will not film them

Most of the time children are simply playing or learning as usual, while we quietly capture short moments.

Do I have to give consent for my child to be filmed?

No. You can say no, or only allow limited use. Your child's care and enrolment will not be affected.

My child is shy. Will they be pushed to be in front of the camera?

No. We work around your child's comfort level. If they prefer to watch or step away, that is completely fine.

What if I change my mind later?

Contact your centre. They can update their consent records and discuss removing or limiting any future use of images that include your child.

Will my child be named online?

Each centre manages this slightly differently, but we encourage them to use first names only or group descriptions, and never publish personal contact details with images.

Who can I talk to if I am worried about something I see in a video or photo?

Start with your centre. They can investigate, talk with us if needed, and request changes or removal of content.

Your choices about your child's image

You are always in control of whether and how your child appears.

Your centre will ask you to complete a consent form that covers:

Whether your child can be photographed or filmed
Where those images can appear, for example: on the centre website, in printed brochures or flyers, on social media, or in internal training material only
Whether images that include your child can be used in EEVA's professional portfolio

You can say yes to some uses and no to others. You can also change your mind at any time before content is published, by speaking with the centre or contacting us directly.

If you do not give consent, your child will be offered engaging, alternative activities during filming. They will be visually tagged (for example, a sticker or wristband) to help crew and educators ensure they are not filmed. We will take care, but please be aware that non-consenting children may occasionally appear in the background in a non-identifiable way (such as the back of a head or a blurred movement), and this will always be reviewed with care.

Saying no will not affect your child's care, their place at the service or the way staff interact with your family.

If you have family safety concerns, a court order, or other reasons your child must never appear in photos or video, please let the centre know so they can ensure your child is never filmed.

How we keep children safe

Here is the short version of our child safe commitments:

Our crew members are screened and hold appropriate Working With Children clearances when required
We follow the centre's child safe policies and local rules on devices and photography
We never ask to be alone with children
We do not manage children's behaviour; that is always the role of educators
We avoid filming in sensitive areas such as bathrooms, change spaces and sleep rooms
If a child says they do not want to be involved, we respect that immediately

Your child's safety and wellbeing come before any photo or video.

How we protect your child's privacy

We treat images and footage of children as sensitive information.

All raw video footage is stored on EEVA's secure network-attached storage (NAS) located in Victoria, Australia. Access is restricted to EEVA's Director and approved editor only. When footage is no longer needed, it will be permanently and irretrievably destroyed, not simply deleted, in line with the National Quality Framework.

EEVA uses GoHighLevel to manage contact details and consent records (such as parent names, email addresses and phone numbers). GoHighLevel stores data on servers in the United States. This means some personal information may be stored overseas. Video footage is not stored on GoHighLevel or any overseas platform. EEVA takes reasonable steps to ensure your data is handled responsibly.

We also work with centres to:

Avoid using children's surnames or personal contact details alongside images
Avoid posting information that clearly identifies a child's home address or daily schedule
Share files with the centre through secure links, not public downloads
Use photos and video only in ways covered by the consent you have given

We do not sell or license images of children to third parties.

Your privacy rights

You have the right to:

Access the personal information EEVA holds about you or your child
Request correction of any inaccurate information
Withdraw consent at any time prior to publication
Lodge a concern with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au

What we never do

There are some clear lines we do not cross. EEVA crew will never:

Friend or message children on social media
Take photos of children for personal use
Share images of children on their personal accounts
Post any content involving children that the centre has not approved
Use images of children in advertising unrelated to the centre without clear written consent

If you ever see something that concerns you, we want to know about it.

Talk to us

We are always happy to answer questions from families.

The quickest way is usually through your centre, but you can also contact us directly:

Early Education Video Agency (EEVA)
Email: [email protected]

We appreciate the trust you place in your child's centre and in us. Our promise is simple: we will always choose children's safety, dignity and wellbeing over getting "the perfect shot".