SNAICC Newsletter

Almost three years after SNAICC and other NGOs started work on a national strategy for child protection, we now have a national framework. Whilst the new framework falls short in some areas – it also moves issues forward.

Th e new framework: Accepts that all governments must do • more to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait children Acknowledges self determination – that • state and territory welfare departments can not and should not seek to protect children for Aboriginal communities, but with them Shows longer term thinking (a series of • three year action plans up to 2020) Makes a commitment to bring down • rates of child abuse and neglect Has a focus on prevention • Proposes high level outcomes and • progress indicators to ensure how well the framework performs and support the implementation of the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle Progress indicators Acknowledges that mainstream services • are not the sole answer Establishes a high level tripartite • mechanism to develop the framework including SNAICC and other NGOs Contains additional funding measures • which, whilst modest, at least make a start. New funds will be directed towards national research priorities, development of national standards for out-of-home care, enhanced Communities for Children projects, improved childcare access for families where children are at risk, and increased ? nancial support for young people leaving care (see FaHCSIA website). Th e ? rst three year actions mainly involve existing programs which need to be evaluated, modi? ed, dispensed with or scaled up. Th e second three year action plan will be critical to outcomes. SNAICC expects to be part of the tripartite arrangements to develop that plan. Steve Larkins, SNAICC Chair said “SNAICC has been advocating since 1981 for a national approach to child protection and is pleased that ? nally in 2009 we have a National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children. “Th e well being of children who have experienced abuse or neglect has been too dependent on which state or territory they live in. Th e framework can start to change this through initiatives like national out-of- home care standards. “However the National Framework is a beginning, not the end. It will only make a di? erence to children and young people if backed by long-term funding,” he said. Contact: SNAICC Executive Of? cer

Developing the framework

Congratulations to all agencies in the Coalition of Organisations Committed to the Safety and Wellbeing of Australia’s Children who have worked in partnership to get the protection of children and young people on the national agenda. SNAICC has long advocated a national approach to prevent and protect children from child abuse and neglect. At a 2006 national conference on the legacy of the institutionalisation of children, a number of child welfare interest groups drafted a national child protection strategy to present to the then Federal Minister Brough. Th e organisations included SNAICC, CAFWAA (the Child and Family Welfare Association of Australia), ARACY, National Child Protection Clearinghouse, CREATE, Families Australia and many others. Th is national strategy proposal was rejected by the federal Liberal Minister. In 2007 an expanded coalition of 64 organisations sought a commitment from political parties before the federal election that they would establish a National Child Protection Strategy in their ? rst year. Th e ALP Opposition included this commitment in their 2007 election platform. In early 2008 the new FaHCSIA Minister, Jenny Macklin MP, met with Coalition representatives and soon after the Minister released a national strategy discussion paper, Australia’s Children. Minister Macklin then took the issue to the COAG, presenting it as a framework to be developed and agreed on by all governments with signi? cant input from the community sector Coalition.

SNAICC’s 5 principles

SNAICC’s principles in relation to the
national framework were:
1
 
Support self-determination and
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
shared jurisdiction over Indigenous child
welfare and protection. To secure an
inescapable commitment from state and
territory governments to transfer child
welfare and protection decision-making
and resources to Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander community organisations.
2
 
Negotiate principles for a uni? ed
approach to child welfare and protection
for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
families and children between SNAICC,
federal and state/territory governments.
3
 
Create national outcomes measures
relating to the wellbeing of those
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
and families that have been involved with
the statutory child protection system.
These outcomes are to be independently
monitored and linked to measurable
performance indicators and targets and to
be fed into a trilateral planning mechanism
with authority to direct new investments.
4
 
Leverage signi? cant new federal
investment for primary prevention
and secondary support services and
get commitment from state/territory
governments framework linked legislation,
policy and funding
5
Transform mainstream service providers
from service competitors to service
partners working in a framework of cultural
respect. (See online the SNAICC Service
Access and Cultural Respect Policy.)
SNAICC
Service Development, Cultural
Respect & Service Access Policy
www.snaicc.asn.au/policy