Today the Territory Labor Government passed amendments to the Care and Protection of Children Act which will give vulnerable families and children a better chance for a bright future.
The amendments will ensure early support for families to take care of their children and reduce the number of children in out of home care, result in more children living with their family, and improve court orders and the legal process to better protect children.
The amendments were developed in conjunction with key stakeholders and partners, including legal organisations, foster and kinship support agencies, and Aboriginal organisations.
The amendments include:
· Mandating early assessment, intervention and support. This enables the Chief Executive Officer of Territory Families to provide preventative and support services in order to reduce the likelihood of children coming into contact with the child protection system.
· Improving care planning. This ensures that care plans are developed throughout the legal process and are tailored to a child’s individual needs and interests. Care plans must include actions for Aboriginal children to maintain and develop their identity and connection to their culture, tradition, language and country. They must also include arrangements for reunification with family and plans for their transition out of care.
· Improving Court orders. This requires the Court to make an order that safeguards a child’s wellbeing by making sure it is the most appropriate and least intrusive. It also holds the Government to account to take reasonable steps to prevent harm and provide early intervention support to families.
· Formalising the transition to independence. This requires care plans for children 15 years or older to include actions that help them make the transition to become capable and independent adults. This includes support to access accommodation, health, education or training and employment services.
Amendments to the Act implements 12 recommendations from the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the NT. From the 218 recommendations, 79 are now complete, 41 well progressed, 95 are underway, and 3 not yet started.
Quotes from Minister for Territory Families, Dale Wakefield
"A child’s safety will always be paramount and remains the most important factor in the child protection system and our reform places that at the centre of our decision-making. The Territory Labor Government is transforming the Territory’s child protection system to give vulnerable children and young people the best chance for a bright future.
“We inherited a stressed and overburdened child protection system from the CLP that was too focused on the crisis end. We are improving it with a contemporary system which focuses on prevention over crisis intervention, support for families over removal, and strengthening cultural connection over severing ties.
“We are already seeing positive results from our overhaul of the child protection system. This year, we have made significant advancement in placing children with kinship or Aboriginal carers. Children in kinship care households have increased by 18% and children placed with Aboriginal carers have increased by 13%. We are ensuring that children are staying connected with family, culture and country, when it is safe to do so.”
Media Contact:
Paige Nguyen
M: 0428 727 244
E: paige.nguyen@nt.gov.au