The Department of Human Services (DHS) has released a new and comprehensive plan to support the State’s most vulnerable families and help them overcome child abuse and neglect through a range of new measures and actions.
Unveiled by the Minister for Human Services, Michelle Lensink the Roadmap for reforming the Child and Family Support System 2021-2023 consolidates two years of extensive research, data analysis and consultation into clear actions.
Ms Lensink said the Roadmap would deliver a more connected early intervention system and therefore better outcomes for families.
She said key actions in the Roadmap included Making services more responsive to Aboriginal culture and intergenerational trauma; Supporting the workforce of child and family practitioners to improve practice across the sector; and Ensuring vulnerable families could receive the right support, at the right time.
She said the actions built on the Adults Supporting Kids (ASK) website, launched at the end of May, which had already seen more than 5,000 users gain access to free or low-cost support from close to 1,000 providers across the State.
“This is the strongest plan South Australia has ever had for supporting vulnerable families,” Ms Lensink said.
“Thank you to the hundreds of people – including parents and carers, Aboriginal elders, children who’ve been through the system, and professionals working on the frontlines – whose input was critical to the plan’s development.”
Minister for Child Protection, Rachel Sanderson said the Roadmap was part of the Government’s child protection strategy, Safe and well: Supporting families, protecting children.
The 27-page Roadmap can be accessed at this PS News link and the ASK website at this link.
