Families, young people and children in need are to have earlier access to support services under a new strategy from the Community Services Directorate.
Welcoming the Directorate’s Next Steps for our Kids 2022-2030, Minister for Families and Community Services, Rachel Stephen-Smith said the Strategy would strengthen families and help keep children and young people safe.
“Next Steps outlines how the ACT Government – working with our partners and the community – will focus on strengthening families and improve the wellbeing of children and young people,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“It’s an ambitious reform agenda that sets out the principles, priorities and key elements that will drive change in our child protection and out-of-home care system,” she said.
“Through Next Steps our focus will be on delivering more widely available and earlier support services to families, young people and children in need.”
Ms Stephen-Smith said one of the most important priorities of the Directorate was to reduce the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people interacting with the statutory child protection and youth justice systems.
“We will work with the community to support self-determination and embed culturally safe practice in the work of child and youth protection,” the Minister said.
She said the Strategy outlined initiatives to be implemented over the next eight years, including the development of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCO) and transitioning responsibility for case management of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Ms Stephen-Smith said the Directorate would also establish best practice processes for reviewing child protection decisions, improve early referral and access for families to community-based supports, and increase access to pre-natal and early parenting support for parents at risk of engagement with child protection.
The Directorate’s 39-page Strategy can be accessed at this PS News link.
