The Community Services Directorate has joined with a range of social welfare organisations to produce a new publication revealing the stories of families who have had contact with the ACT’s child protection system.
Announcing the publication, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Rachel Stephen-Smith said Stepping Up for Our Kids: Real Stories of Keeping Children and Young People Strong, Safe and Connected told inspiring stories of children, young people, birth families, carers and workers who made a real difference in implementing the strategy, A Step Up for Our Kids.
“The publication showcases how Agencies under A Step Up for Our Kids are working collaboratively to support children, young people and their families using a trauma informed approach, and illustrates how child protection practitioners work creatively to help families,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
She noted two extracts from the publication.
In the words of kinship carers Barbara and John: “It was a wondrous thing for our beautiful niece Tilda to come into our home.”
Birth parent Dave made big steps to address the difficulties he was experiencing being a Dad and said: “If you really put your heart and mind into it, you can achieve.”
Ms Stephen-Smith said that in both instances the names had been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
The Directorate collaborated with ACT Together, Uniting Children and Families ACT, CREATE Foundation, Carers ACT and the Australian Red Cross Birth Family Advocacy Service in the production of the book.
The 36-page book can be accessed at this PS News link.
