From 30 March 2012, this clearinghouse will be amalgamated into Child Family Community Australia (CFCA Information Exchange). For more information see the CFCA Information Exchange FAQ
What's new in the sector
This page aims to keep you up-to-date with "what's new" at the National Child Protection Clearinghouse and in the fields of child abuse prevention, child protection and out-of-home care in the last three months.
- Report - Report on Government Services 2012
31 January 2012
This report was released on 31 January 2012. It has been produced by the Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision (SCRGSP). The report will help inform improvements to the effectiveness and efficiency of government services in Australia. - Resource - Family Law in Australia fact sheets
31 January 2012
These recently-updated fact sheets from Victoria Legal Aid explain aspects of family law in Australia to culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Fact sheets in Vietnamese, Chinese and Arabic are available. - Research - Unhappy childhoods afflict one in 10 youngsters, finds Children's Society
31 January 2012
A survey of 30,000 children aged eight to 16 pinpoints family relationships and 'materialistic traps' behind low well-being. - Research - Toxic stress and child development
31 January 2012
New research reveals that high stress levels in childhood can have lifelong repercussions. - Seminar - Parental alienation, contact problems and the Family Justice System
31 January 2012
20 February 2012, Melbourne VIC
Although in high conflict separations some children maintain good relationships with both parents, many children become resistant to contact with one parent. Professor Nick Bala from Queen's University, Canada, will discuss this tendency with reference to the Family Justice System. - Discussion - Child protection policy: guided by the head or the heart?
31 January 2012
Ineffective, unresponsive, frustrated and frustrating - the picture painted of the UK child protection system by Michael Little, director of the Social Research Unit, and his colleagues, is a dismal one. A different approach, they say, is in order. - Report - Indigenous Child Placement Principle Audit Report 2010/11
31 January 2012
Overall, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in out-of-home care in Queensland were found to be experiencing positive outcomes relevant to their contact with family and community and their opportunity to participate in cultural activities and events, this report demonstrates. - Report - Child deaths: fatal assault and neglect (PDF 532KB)
30 January 2012
This short paper focuses on the issue of fatal assault and neglect in children and young people in Queensland. Categories of fatal assault and neglect are discussed, as well as directions for future research. - Media Release - Helping Students with Disabilities
24 January 2012
Students with disabilities will get more support to help them finish school and find a job under a new National Partnership signed by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell today. - Report - AIHW Child Protection Australia 2010-2011
20 January 2012
This report shows a 13% fall in the number of children subject to notifications of possible child abuse or neglect compared with the previous year. In 2010–11, there were 237,273 notifications of potential child abuse or neglect involving 163,767 children. Of these notifications, over half were investigated and just over a third were substantiated. - Training - The Nurtured Heart Approach and ‘Transforming the “difficult” child’
19 January 2012
2 February 2012, Eumemmerring, VIC
Timothy O’Leary is an Advanced Trainer in the Nurtured Heart Approach developed by Howard Glasser. This one-day forum for teachers, psychologists, social workers and caseworkers places trauma and child development theories within a neurological context. - Research - Trends and Issues Papers from The Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian (Qld)
16 January 2012
The first paper in this series focuses on understanding suicidal intent: how it is communicated and to whom, what it can mean for young people at risk of suicide, and that any threat of suicide needs to be taken seriously. The second paper focuses on the issue of fatal assault and neglect in children and young people in Queensland and discusses categories of fatal assault and neglect and directions for future research. - Report - Engaging dad's in health services
16 January 2012
There is a strong link between being and becoming a father, and being healthy. Fathers' engagement with health services poses a specific challenge to health care professionals. Evidence suggests that when fathers are engaged and involved with their families, the health outcomes of their children are improved as are those of the men and the mothers as well. - Resource - Socialising online
13 January 2012
The Federal Government has launched an Easy Guide to Socialising Online to help tackle the issue of cyberbullying and help young people to stay safe online. - Effective approaches to supporting vulnerable families and preventing child abuse and neglect
12 January 2012
Presentations from this R.E. Ross Trust Seminar are now available online. - Reviewing the evidence on the effectiveness of early childhood intervention
10 January 2012
This report examines current evidence for the effectiveness of early intervention for children with developmental delay. - Report - Child maltreatment: variation in trends and policies in six developed countries
9 December 2011
This report explores trends in six developed countries in three types of indicators of child maltreatment for children younger than 11 years, since the inception of modern child protection systems in the 1970s. Despite several policy initiatives for child protection, the findings recorded no consistent evidence for a decrease in all types of indicators of child maltreatment. - CAFCA Practice Sheet - Demonstrating community-wide outcomes: Exploring the issues for child and family services
9 December 2011
This Practice Sheet summarises issues in evaluating community-wide impacts, in a way that reflects the realities of working in a community-based agency environment. It examines different methods of data collection, including surveying a representative community sample, interviews and focus groups with key informants, and using secondary source data, and discusses measurement of community-wide outcomes, such as being a child-friendly community, community empowerment, and social capital. - Resource - Infants & overnight care - post separation & divorce: new guidelines – AAIMHI
9 December 2011
The Australian Association for Infant Mental Health (AAIMHI) has released new guidelines, ‘Infants and overnight care - post separation and divorce’. - Report – Children’s Television Standards
9 December 2011
The ACMA has released a report into the operation of two key food industry initiatives developed in response to community concerns about junk food advertising to children. - Report - Early Childhood Development Workforce
9 December 2011
The second phase of the Education and Training Workforce study is examining the workforce of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector. - Conference - The 2012 Early Childhood Education Conference, Together we grow: delivering quality
9 December 2011
1 – 2 June 2012, Melbourne, VIC
The conference promises to inspire, engage and bring together the early childhood sector that collectively provides quality early childhood education for children, with a special emphasis on the National Quality Framework. - Conference - 2012 Drugs in Pregnancy and the Newborn Conference
9 December 2011
22 March 2012, Sydney, NSW
The conference is convened by the Substance use in Pregnancy Special Interest Group of the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ). - Grants - AYAC Youth Led Inclusion Project Grants 2012
9 December 2011
In December 2011, AYAC invites youth led organisations to apply for one of six one-off grants of up to $2500 to youth led organisations for projects, events, activities and programs. - NCPC Resource Sheet - Alcohol misuse and child maltreatment
9 December 2011
It has been estimated that roughly 13% of Australian children live in a home with at least one adult who misuses alcohol. This Resource Sheet discusses the guidelines on alcohol consumption, the effects of alcohol on parenting behaviour, and the relationship between alcohol abuse and child maltreatment. - Discussion – Failure makes perfect?
9 December 2011
Failure is, of course, an inevitable fact of life. In every sphere – personal, professional, business, academic – there will be failure. What is not inevitable, however, is how that failure will be treated. Does it become an opportunity to learn, or something to hide, like an embarrassing family secret? - Discussion - Shared parenting: what’s really important when dads move out
9 December 2011
When fathers no longer live at home, policy makers focus on child support and residential arrangements as the best ways to help children and parents cope after separation. Nina Lucas and Jan Nicholson reflect on this process. - Forum – Child Inclusive Practice Forum 2012
9 December 2011
15 – 16 March 2012, Sydney, NSW
With the theme of CIP and Beyond, this practitioner-led Forum will explore new and emerging practices as well as focus on the linkages between research, theory and practice. - Resource – Professional Training Programs from Relationships Australia
9 December 2011
Relationships Australia provides training for professionals and human services workers to develop specialist counselling, mediation and management skills in the area of relationships. Training is provided from basic to advanced professional competency levels. - Report - Sexting and young people: Experts’ views
9 December 2011
Young people’s ‘sexting’ – defined by the Macquarie Dictionary Online (2010) as the sending and receiving of sexually explicit images via mobile phones – has become a focus of much media reporting; however, research regarding the phenomenon is in its infancy. This paper reports on the first phase of a study to understand this activity more comprehensively. - Online Resource – Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Development
9 December 2011
This Encyclopedia, published on the Internet, is available free of charge. It covers 47 topics related to the psychosocial development of the child, from conception to the age of five, and presents the most up-to-date scientific knowledge. - Conference - The Corporate Takeover of Childhood: Who's paying the price? The 3rd Australian Conference on Children and the Media
9 December 2011
9 March 2012, Melbourne, VIC
Our society has many ways of convincing children that their happiness, and their very identity, depend on what they buy and what they own. The evidence shows that consumerism doesn't make children happier or healthier. - Media Release - Exploring the future of children and family policy
9 December 2011
The inaugural meeting of the Gillard Government’s new Children and Family Roundtable was held in Melbourne last week, to begin discussions on current and future opportunities for Australian children and their families. - Discussion - What's Behind A Temper Tantrum? Scientists Deconstruct The Screams
9 December 2011
Children's temper tantrums are widely seen as many things: the cause of profound helplessness among parents; a source of dread for airline passengers stuck next to a young family; a nightmare for teachers. But until recently, they had not been considered a legitimate subject for science. - Discussion – Do parenting programs work for dads?
9 December 2011
What’s surprising, given the demonstrated benefits to children of fathers’ involvement, is that no real effort is made to include fathers in parenting programs, writes Richard Fletcher from the University of Newcastle. - Conference – C&K Early Childhood Conference: Children's Right to Childhood (PDF 1.8MB)
1 December 2011
26 - 27 May 2012, Brisbane, Qld
This conference will include four strands: Children’s rights to play; Children’s rights to inclusive environments; Children’s rights to quality programs; and Children’s rights to childhood and to be a child. - Incredible Years – Success for challenging behaviours
1 December 2011
New research reveals the Incredible Years parent training program has produced positive results for children aged 3-13 years and their families. The program has achieved reductions in children's emotional and behavioural difficulties as well as parental depression and negative parenting styles. - Research – Reducing child abuse potential
1 December 2011
New research suggests that one program - Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) - is successful at both reducing risk factors associated with child maltreatment as well as reducing notifications of abuse to child protection services. Australian researchers Rae Thomas and Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck of Griffith University recently reported the results of their experimental trial in the journal Child Development. - Conference – The Corporate takeover of childhood: who’s paying the price? The 3rd Australian Conference on Children and the Media
1 December 2011
9 March 2012, Melbourne, VIC
The evidence shows that consumerism doesn't make children happier or healthier. This raises the question: How can we make sure healthy child development is given due consideration in exploitative commercial environments? This conference will explore the issues, review the research and discuss possible remedies. - Foundations for a Stronger, Fairer Australia (PDF 1.4MB)
1 December 2011
This federal government report provides a snapshot of government actions in six priority areas where people face barriers to participation, which include improving the life chances of children at risk of long term disadvantage; reducing the incidence of homelessness and closing the gap for Indigenous Australians amongst others. The report recognizes that despite the strong economy entrenched disadvantage still exists in some parts of the Australian community. - Senate Inquiry into International Child Abduction to and From Australia
4 November 2011
The inquiry into International Child Abduction to and From Australia has tabled its report on Parliament. Amongst its recommendations, the Senate Committee has called for an increased awareness of the support and assistance available to parents in these circumstances as well as legal reform on the issues. - Video – Kids react to bullying
4 November 2011
Kids React have released an interesting YouTube video in which children talk about bullying after watching footage of an actual schoolyard incident. - Video – Understanding Depression and Anxiety
4 November 2011
This video from Headspace describes depression and anxiety and provides resources for young people experiencing mental health difficulties. - Conference: National Council of Single Mothers and their Children Incorporated National Conference
4 November 2011
18 November 2011, Melbourne, VIC
The conference will include sessions that focus upon income management, family law, forced adoptions, child support and advocacy in 2011. - Report – Seen and Heard: putting children on the homelessness agenda
4 November 2011
Last year in Australia 84,000 children tried to get help from a homeless service - equivalent to one in 60 Australian children - but more than half of them were turned away, this snapshot report on child homelessness has revealed. - Podcast – How many parents can a child have?
4 November 2011
Professor Samantha Brennan argues it's time to rethink ‘the whole parents thing’ in the wake of a rapidly changing society. - Discussion Paper – Family violence and Commonwealth laws
27 October 2011
This Discussion Paper Summary provides an overview of the policy framework and the proposals and questions contained in the full Discussion Paper, Family Violence and Commonwealth Laws (DP 76), which addressed social security, child support and family assistance, income management, employment, superannuation and migration. - Online Resource – For Carers
27 October 2011
Out-of-home carers across the nation will have better access to information about government and non-government support and services through this new online resource. - Report into investigation of child protection services in Loddon-Mallee region released by VIC Ombudsman (PDF 434 KB)
27 October 2011
The fourth report in two years presented by the Victorian Ombudsman into the DHS Child Protection Program has identified a policy in the Loddon-Mallee region of pursuing targets at the expense of protecting children and conducting investigations. At the Ombudsman's direction 50 cases were reopened for investigation. - Resource – eHeadspace
25 October 2011
A new era in mental health support for young Australians begins today with the expansion of a groundbreaking e- counselling service to provide 24-hour online and telephone support to 12-25 years olds. - Caring Role Strengthens Relationships
24 October 2011
The Australian Bureau of Statistics confirms that the caring role can deepen caring relationships. Caring in the Community data found that in 2009, 36 per cent of primary carers reported their caring role brought them closer together with the person they care for. - Rediscovering Parenting Piece by Piece
13 October 2011
This seven week course is for women who have been affected by family violence and would like support with parenting skills. It will address issues such as the impact of family violence on children's development and behavior. - Research – Why don't smart teens have sex?
13 October 2011
A new study reveals that the relationship between intelligence, academic performance and early sexual activity "runs in families" - for both cultural and genetic reasons. - Report - Facilitating children's transition to school from families with complex support needs
13 October 2011
This report reinforces the importance of the transition to school for children from families with complex support needs. For all children and families, but particularly for those with complex support needs, the transition to school is a time of both opportunity and vulnerability. - Conference – The Early Years Conference 2012, The Development of Children's Mental Health: How do we become who we are?
13 October 2011
2 - 4 February 2012, Vancouver, CANADA
This conference will stimulate dialogue, reflection, a deeper understanding of a child's total development as rooted in their earliest relationships, and may revolutionise practitioners' approaches and practices with young children, their families, and their communities. This conference will be of interest to anyone interested in learning and sharing about issues and experiences regarding early years. - Workshop - Delivering Quality Youth Services Workshop: Measuring Impact Outcomes
13 October 2011
9th November 2011, Sydney, NSW
This workshop is being held as part of Youth Health 2011 Conference on November 9 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and is offered as a stand-alone registration or via a conference package. - Research – Inheriting Violence
13 October 2011
Violence between parents is enough to start a chain reaction of anti-social behavior in the following generations, new research finds. Exposure to violence between parents affects children's ability to regulate their emotional responses to conflict – laying the groundwork for a new cycle of violent relationships - Report – Teaching Diversities: Same Sex Attracted Young People, CALD Communities, and Arts-based Community Education (PDF 1.1 MB)
13 October 2011
The Teaching Diversities project has been funded by Victoria University and represents a collaboration with the Centre for Multicultural Youth in recognition of the particular needs (and risks) of doubly-marginalised young people who identify as both same sex-attracted, and those from multicultural backgrounds. The vulnerability of these young people hinges on the intersection of homophobia in some cultural communities and also racism within some lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities. - Report – Preventing Multiple Risky Behaviours Among Adolescents: Seven Strategies (PDF 139 KB)
11 October 2011
Taking risks is fairly common in adolescence. Risky behaviors can be associated with serious, long-term, and – in some cases – life-threatening consequences. This is especially the case when adolescents engage in more than one harmful behavior. This Research Brief brings together findings from developmental science and from rigorous program evaluations to identify seven actionable, feasible strategies and relevant programs that have been found to affect two or more risky behaviors. - Conference - 8th Australian and New Zealand Adolescent Health Conference
11 October 2011
9-11 November 2011, Sydney, NSW
The wide-ranging themes chosen for this conference will enable a full and contemporary exploration of the issues and challenges facing young people and the creative solutions being sought to tackle them. - Report – Child and working-age poverty from 2010 to 2020 (UK)
11 October 2011
What levels of poverty might there be for children and working-age adults by 2020? This study forecasts relative and absolute income poverty among children and working-age adults for each year between 2010/11 and 2015/16, and for 2020/21. It also examines the impact of the coalition Government's reforms on poverty and implications for policy and poverty measurement. - Video – Disability: the new frontier of justice
11 October 2011
Melbourne writer Anne Manne stresses the importance of a more thoughtful, generous approach to the care and support we provide to the differently-abled. - Conference – Homelessness Research Conference
11 October 2011
19-20 April 2012, Melbourne, VIC
The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) and RMIT University are pleased to announce the inaugural Homelessness Research Conference to be held in Melbourne on Thursday 19 and Friday 20 April 2012 - Conference – Helen Mayo House Annual Conference: Mothers and Infants at High Risk
11 October 2011
21-22 November 2011, Adelaide, SA
Professionals working with parents and infants are increasingly recognising how depression and anxiety can be identified in families, and have a growing awareness of the effects of mental health problems. Australian experts Professor Anne Buist and Louise Newman, our two keynote speakers, have been at the forefront of research into perinatal mental health issues and how to move towards better outcomes for both the mothers and the infants in these families. - VIC - New Teen Drinking Laws
6 October 2011
People who supply minors with alcohol could now face fines of up to $7000 from 1 November. The new Victorian law covers the supply of alcohol to under 18s in private residences. Its aim is to reduce alcohol-related harm to young people and make adults who provide alcohol to minors accountable for their actions. - Domestic Violence and Financial Hardship
6 October 2011
Violence against women is strongly correlated with both financial and personal stress according to a new study released today by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. The results of the study show that the risk of actual or threatened violence was significantly higher for women who in the last 12 months have experienced financial stress.
The risk is also much higher among those who experience personal stressors such as divorce or separation, death of a family member/close friend, serious illness, serious accident, mental illness, serious disability, inability to get a job, involuntary loss of job and gambling problems. - Tasmanian Infant Mental Health Conference
12 September 2011
The Tasmanian Early Years Foundation and Statewide and Mental Health Services, Department of Health and Human Services, are hosting the Tasmanian Infant Mental Health Conference. The conference will be held from 8-9 November 2011 at the Wrest Point Conference Centre, Hobart. The aim of the conference is to raise the importance of infant mental health, to support the focus of mental health services on promotion, prevention and early intervention and provide opportunities for training and networking for infant mental health for service providers across all sectors. - Our Place launch
12 September 2011
The ACT Government has launched "Our Place" program for homeless youth in Braddon. The program combines accommodation, mentoring and support to ensure youth do not end up sleeping rough again. As well as providing a safe place to sleep each night, the program offers individual case management to support their personal development needs as they transition to independence. - Directions for alternative care in South Australia 2011 - 2015 …
9 September 2011
The South Australian Government has released its four year strategic plan for the direction of the state's alternative care sector. - Keeping them safe?
1 September 2011
Keeping them safe? NSW Ombudsman reports raises concerns about Child Protection reforms. The NSW Ombudsman Bruce Barbour has tabled a special report to Parliament 'Keep Them Safe?' The report draws on extensive work by the Ombudsman since 2002, which has identified serious concerns about the capacity of the child protection system to adequately protect children from harm. - A picture of NSW Children
22 August 2011
This latest release contains data on the economic well-being of children and highlights that too many children in NSW are missing out on basic necessities. The online datebook brings together extensive and important information about the lives of more than 1.6 million children in NSW from a range of major data sources. The new release on the Economic well-being of families and Work and income of children highlight differences which can impact on a child's well-being and life opportunities.
- Consultation Draft: Australian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security
19 August 2011
The National Action Plan outlines Australia's framework to integrate gender considerations in all peace and security efforts and support work to eliminate violence against women and girls in fragile, conflict and post-conflict situations where Australia operates The Government is seeking input from across Australia about the content of the National Action Plan. The views and ideas offered by the Australian community during the consultation process will help to inform the development of the final National Action Plan. Submissions close October 18 2011. - Barriers to Education and Social Inclusion
15 August 2011
Analysis of data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found people with mental health issues, severe physical disability and those with poor English skills are those within our community who face major challenges to attaining good outcomes in education and training and therefore fast the most significant barriers to full participation in society. - NT Child Protection Reforms: Independent Report
9 August 2011
The first independent report into the progress of the reforms of the Territory's child protection system has found the reforms are on track. The independent Committee comprises national and local child protection experts and was appointed by the Henderson Government to monitor and report on progress of the reforms announced in the Board of Inquiry's report into the child protection system, Growing them strong, together. - Making Prevention Matter – practitioner study
6 August 2011
Researchers from the Queensland University of Technology are interested in establishing characteristics of effective child sexual abuse prevention programs. They are currently looking at what child sexual abuse prevention programs are used in Australian primary schools and how the programs are selected and used. - Keeping Children Safe in an Uncertain World
5 August 2011
The British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (BASPCAN) are making a final call for abstracts for their 8th National Conference in April 2012, entitled "Keeping Children Safe in an Uncertain World: Learning from Evidence and Practice". The conference has a number of specific sub-themes, and are seeking abstracts in the following areas: Innovations and Interventions; Neglect and Emotional Abuse; Children and Young People Living with Family or Community Violence; Sexual Abuse and Exploitation; Supporting Staff and Developing the Response to Hard-to-Reach Groups; Young People in Transition; Other topics of interest to the intended audience.
The sub-themes are not exclusive, and submissions that applicants deem relevant to the Conference are encourage to submit an abstract before 12 August 2011. - Working with Vulnerable People Consultation
3 August 2011
The ACT Government has reached agreement with the mental health and drug and alcohol sectors in the ACT to progress new laws that will establish a comprehensive background checking system for all persons working with children and vulnerable adults in the territory. The Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Bill 2010 seeks to establish a regulatory framework for the background checking and risk assessment of people working - or volunteering - with children or vulnerable adults in the ACT. - Better Start Initiative
20 July 2011
The Better Start for Children with Disability (Better Start) initiative aims to assist eligible children with developmental disabilities to access funding for early intervention services. From 1 July 2011, eligible children diagnosed with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, Fragile X syndrome, or a moderate or greater vision or hearing impairment, including deafblindness, will have access to funding and new Medicare items under the Better Start for Children with Disability (Better Start) initiative. - Reporting abuse and neglect: State and territory departments responsible for protecting children
19 July 2011
This Resource Sheet provides contact details and links to the relevant reporting authorities in each Australian state or territory. - Online safety
19 July 2011
This Resource Sheet provides information on resources available for parents regarding online safety for their children. - Government asks Sentencing Advisory Council to review sentences imposed on child sex offenders
18 July 2011
Deputy Premier and Attorney-General Paul Lucas has asked the independent Sentencing Advisory Council (SAC) to review the sentences imposed on offenders convicted of sexual crimes against children. Mr Lucas said he had asked for the review as he was concerned about the penalties being imposed for child sex offences. "This review by the SAC is about ensuring the harm experienced by the child victim is reflected in the punishment," he said. I'm also keen to ensure the current penalties meet community expectations. - Recognising excellence in child, youth & family services
18 July 2011
Nominations for the 10th Robin Clark Memorial Awards which recognise excellence in working with children, youth and families closed on Friday 15 July, Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge said. Dedicated to the memory of Robin Dennis Clark (1936-2001), these awards recognise and promote the continuing contribution of Victorians who work to improve the lives of vulnerable children, young people and families. - Working Group on ADHD Clinical Practice Points
18 July 2011
Minister for Mental Health and Ageing Mark Butler confirmed the membership of a new Working Group, convened by the National Health and Medical Research Council to provide up to date advice on ways to identify and care for those in our community who may be suffering from ADHD. Professor Bruce Tonge will lead the Working Group to develop Clinical Practice Points (CPPs) to assist in the management and diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). - Protecting children, changing lives: Supporting the child protection workforce
11 July 2011
Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge launched, on 7 July, Protecting children, changing lives: Supporting the child protection workforce which outlines a new operating model and proposes the most significant child protection workforce reform in decades. This document Protecting children, changing lives proposes major changes to the child protection system in Victoria to help keep vulnerable children and young people safe, Ms Wooldridge said. Every year, one in four front line child protection workers leave the workforce - a significant challenge that puts vulnerable children and young people at further risk. (DHS) - Listen to Children Report Launch
7 July 2011
Gross inadequacies remain in Australia’s commitment to its children, despite recommendations made five years ago for improvement. The Listen to Children Report, the touchstone of Australia’s status on child rights, reveals that three groups of children are especially disadvantaged by the failure of governments:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have child mortality rates of three times their non-aboriginal peers and are the least consulted in Australian policy;
- The numbers of children in out-of-home-care has increased by 51.5 per cent since 2005, yet Australia collects no data on the reasons why children are placed in care;
- And children of asylum seekers remain in detention facilities in direct contravention to UN convention. - Report - Children's exposure to domestic violence in Australia
7 July 2011
Children's witnessing or exposure to domestic violence has been increasingly recognised as a form of child abuse, both in Australia and internationally. Initiatives focused on early intervention and holistic approaches to preventing and responding to children's exposure to domestic violence should be considered as part of strategies developed to address this problem. - Better start in life for children with disability
4 July 2011
Approximately 136,000 carers who receive Carer Allowance (child) will receive the annual $1000 Child Disability Assistance Payment for each child they care for. Recipients of Carer Allowance will also receive the $600 supplement for each person they care for. - Annual supplement to better support carers
4 July 2011
Children with disability affecting their development will have access to targeted early intervention services through the $147 million Better Start for Children with Disability initiative. A Medicare rebate for the development of a treatment and management plan will be available for children under the age of 13. - Release of the UK report into the child protection system
30 June 2011
The Munro Review of Child Protection: Final Report - a child centred system. This final report sets out proposals for reform which, taken together, are intended to create the conditions that enable professionals to make the best judgments about the help to give children, young people and families. This involves moving from a system that has become over-bureaucratised and focused on compliance to one that values and develops professional expertise and is focused on the safety and welfare of children and young people. - Report - Children's Exposure to Domestic Violence in Australia: Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice
30 June 2011
Children's witnessing or exposure to domestic violence has been increasingly recognised as a form of child abuse, both in Australia and internationally. This paper outlines, witnessing domestic violence can involve a range of incidents, ranging from the child only hearing the violence, to the child being forced to participate in the violence or being used as part of a violent incident. In this paper, current knowledge about the extent of children's exposure to domestic violence in Australia is described, along with the documented impacts that this exposure can have on children. - Talk Soon. Talk Often. A guide for parents talking to their kids about sex.
30 June 2011
Where do babies come from? ….Why do I look different from my brother? ….Why do I feel this way? ….How do I know if I am ready for sex? ….Why shouldn’t I post my photo online? In response to advice that parents needed support in their role as the primary sex educators of their children, WA Health has developed Talk Soon Talk Often. A guide for parents talking to their kids about sex. - Transitioning from Care in Australia: An Evaluation of CREATE’s ‘What’s the Plan?’ Campaign
27 June 2011
Transitioning from Care in Australia: an Evaluation of CREATE’s ‘What’s the Plan?’ Campaign, is now available for download or hard copy purchase from the CREATE Foundation (CREATE) website. This is the third Report Card produced by the CREATE, looking at transitioning from care and again highlights that there are significant gaps in service delivery to young people who are arguably at the most vulnerable time of their lives. - Child protection budget lends hand to struggling families
16 June 2011
Supporting parents and keeping families together will continue to be the number one focus of the Queensland Government's child safety budget in 2011-12. Child Safety Minister Phil Reeves said today's State Budget also provided more funds for early intervention strategies and ways to keep Indigenous children safe in their own communities. "We recognise the best place for children to be is with their own families, as long as it is safe," he said. The Queensland Government's first step will always be to support families in need and help them protect their children from harm. Supporting families early on is a better way of preventing what could become a crisis situation. - Victorian Government supports excellence in media reporting to prevent violence against women
16 June 2011
The Victorian Coalition Government is pleased to have supported and funded the 2011 Eliminating Violence against Women Media Awards (EVAs) held at Melbourne Town Hall last night. Minister for Women's Affairs Mary Wooldridge said the media has a pivotal role to play in changing attitudes towards violence against women. Good quality reporting of violence against women helps to challenge damaging stereotypes or assumptions that tolerate or excuse violence against women, Ms Wooldridge said. It was an honour to present the EVAs and recognise excellence in media reporting of violence against women. Ms Wooldridge also launched an updated edition of Family Violence in the News: A Media Toolkit produced by Child and Family Services Ballarat and Pact Community Support, which provides guidance to the media on responsible reporting of family violence. - Reconnecting forgotten Australians and former child migrants with their families
16 June 2011
Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin said more support for Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants to reconnect with their families will be available online and through key advocacy agencies in the coming months. The Australian Government is providing more than $3 million in the first phase of investment in the national Find and Connect service to help Forgotten Australians and former child migrants access professional counselling services, trace their personal and family histories and reunite with family members where possible. - Case for change: Challenges facing the child protection workforce
8 June 2011
Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge has thanked the hundreds of child protection workers who have spoken openly and frankly about the daily challenges they confront in the child protection system. Releasing Child protection workforce: The case for change via video conference to 28 Department of Human Services offices across the state yesterday, the Minister spoke with the child protection workforce about their important involvement in developing this document and the continued work needed to refine and implement new operating models and improvements in the system. Child protection workforce: The case for change document can be viewed at www.dhs.vic.gov.au - GPS technology to be used in monitoring of sex offenders
8 June 2011
Queensland's tough regime of monitoring and supervising sex offenders living in the community is to be further enhanced with the introduction of GPS technology to monitor them. QLD Premier Anna Bligh and Corrective Services Minister Neil Roberts today announced the 2011-12 State Budget would include $2.2 million to introduce the technology to monitor the movement of offenders on continuing supervision orders under the Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders) Act 2003. The total cost to implement the system will be $13.7 million over four years. "Already Queensland has some of the most stringent monitoring in place but the introduction of this new technology is the next logical step in providing both the best protection for victims and the strictest supervision for offenders," Ms Bligh said. - National Cyber Security Awareness Week/Cybersafety Summit - Helping protect Australians online
1 June 2011
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy and Attorney-General Robert McClelland, launched National Cyber Security Awareness Week 2011. As part of the Awareness Week, Senator Conroy today announced the development of a cybersafety guide to help protect children online, including while using social networking sites. The Easy Guide to Socialising Online, which provides information about the cybersafety features of different sites - including social networking sites, search engines and online games - resulted from work done by the Government's Youth Advisory Group on Cybersafety (YAG). YAG members told the Government it can be difficult to know how to change privacy controls or report abuse and that their parents would also like to understand a little more about the sites their children are visiting, Senator Conroy said.