New legislation empowering children and young people to participate in decisions about their lives is before the State Parliament.
Minister for Children, Leanne Linard said during consultations about the legislation, young people in the child protection system said they wanted to be able to participate in decisions made about their lives.
“I can assure them that we have listened,” Ms Linard said.
“We have introduced the Child Protection Reform and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2021, which will strengthen the Act to ensure children will be genuinely empowered and supported to participate in decisions about their lives and the child protection system.”
She said the legislation would make Queensland the first jurisdiction in Australia to acknowledge the need for children to have a voice where they must be listened to, engaged with and where active attempts must be made to understand their views.
The Minister said the Bill would amend the Child Protection Act 1999 to reinforce children’s rights in the legislative framework; strengthen children’s voices in decisions that affected them; and streamline, clarify and improve the regulation of care.
Ms Linard said during consultation, children and young people also spoke about the importance of knowing their rights.
“They told us about the rights they want to see protected, including the right to be treated with respect, the right to be treated fairly and the right to be allowed to be a child,” she said.
“This Bill addresses that feedback and provides significant rights to children.
“It also amends the definition of kin so that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children can be placed with people who are regarded as kin by way of a legitimate cultural connection to the child,” Ms Linard said.