South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People has released a Project Report declaring a need for significant changes to the State’s system for protecting its children.
According to the Commissioner, Helen Connolly, the current system has been “under pressure for some time” and “is not serving children or families well.”
In her report Ms Connolly identifies two directions she said were contributing to the system’s problems.
“First, responses that focus on forensic investigations and child removal which in practice has the effect of alienating some families and communities, and second, through a public discourse that criticises the system for not “rescuing children” early enough,” she said.
“As a system intended to ensure children and young people are protected from harm, from what children and young people have told me, the current system is not serving children or families well.
“Our system is not adequately supporting parents to be the type of parents they want to be, particularly for those families with experiences or circumstances of vulnerability.”
Ms Connolly South Australia needs to invest in a child protection system that facilitates and embeds child rights into everyday decision making and practices that promote the best possible outcomes for children and young people.
“In working with children and young people involved with child protection I have heard and witnessed resilient children experiencing love, and kindness, as well as distress and trauma,” Ms Connolly said.
“I have seen carers, social workers and support staff go out of their way to do the right thing for children. I have also heard from children being let down time and time again by adults who they feel are never on their side.”
She said that over the past five years in South Australia, the number of children in care has increased significantly and against national trends, the rate of children in care per 1,000 children is also rising.
The Commissioner said the system must be reformed and she offered six recommendations including: Recognising the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; Increasing vulnerable families to love and care for children in their family; Children and young people removed from their family to be seen as children first; Children and young people in care be actively supported and encouraged to develop friendships; All children involved with Child Protection given age-appropriate information; and Children in care have timely access to specialised education resources.
Ms Connolly’s 24-page book Best Interests can be accessed at this PS News link.
