Expert report supports need for child protection reforms

The NSW Government has welcomed a report by the James Martin Institute (JMI) that emphasises the importance of putting families first in reforming and rebuilding the child protection system.

JMI worked with the Centre for Relational Care to develop the report which made 11 policy suggestions outlining the need to shake-up the child protection system in NSW.

The report, Supporting Children and Families to Flourish, highlights the importance of building trust with families and providing support early so they can better support their child’s safety and wellbeing.

Significantly, it suggests a redesign of the child protection system to put relationships and people at the centre.

This builds on existing reform work within the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) to support families to stay together, where possible, and to ensure children live in safe, stable and nurturing homes.

Some of the Government’s current work includes:

oEnsuring child protection caseworkers make ‘active efforts’ to prevent children entering out-of-home care and, for children who must be removed, active efforts to restore them to their family

oShifting children from High-Cost Emergency Arrangements (such as hotels, motels and caravan parks) to more suitable options

oSignificant caseworker and foster care recruitment activities

The NSW Government welcomes the report and will consider its suggestions as part of a larger body of reform work of the child protection system to make NSW a place where children and families receive the help they need at the time they need it, and where crisis interventions are rare and a last resort.

A full copy of the report can be found here.

Minister for Families and Communities and Minister for Disability Inclusion, Kate Washington said:

“This report will be a guiding light as we embark on significant reform of the child protection system.

“For our reforms to succeed we must ensure that vulnerable children know that there’s always someone in their corner who will back them every day.

“To fix the broken child protection system in NSW, we must do things differently. This report confirms that there is another way when it comes to caring for and protecting children.”