With a theme of Every Conversation Matters: Shifting Conversation to Action, National Child Protection Week 2025 (7-13 September) is an opportunity to acknowledge the significant work being done in the Territory to ensure the safety and protection of children and young people in the community.
The Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Michael Pettersson MLA, thanked those working in the child protection system, as well as individuals and organisations – including young people with lived experience – whose advocacy has been critical to delivering systemic change.
"Keeping children and young people safe is a priority for the ACT Government, which is why we're modernising the Children and Young People Act 2008,and investing in earlier support and better diversion to address the root causes of issues affecting families at risk," Minister Pettersson said.
"We will continue to implement action items identified in Next Steps for Our Kids 2022-2030, the ACT's strategy for strengthening families and keeping children and young people safe."
National Child Protection Week also marks one year since the formal appointment of the inaugural ACT Chief Practitioner, who is responsible for strengthening processes and ensuring best practice approaches to supporting Canberra's most vulnerable children, young people and families.
Other recent steps taken to protect young people in the ACT include:
- The establishment of an internal working group in Children, Youth and Families (CYF) to identify areas for practice improvement based on the recommendations in the ACT Human Rights Commission's Listen to Me Report. A reference group of external stakeholders with expertise in supporting the needs of children and young people who have contact with child protection and youth justice services – including young people with lived experience – has also been established to provide advice to the working group.
- Implementing the Signs of Safety Practice Framework, which emphasises the importance of child and family participation to ensure that their experiences and needs are understood, and to help them make sense of why professionals are involved in their lives. In the first year of implementation, CYF has provided core training to more than 250 staff and advanced training to more than 45 learning leads, aimed at embedding this child-centred practice across the workforce.
- The commencement of the external merits review process in the ACT, improving the transparency of child protection decision making. These additional oversight and independent review processes will drive increased accountability and practice improvement across the child protection system.
- Embedding the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle into decisions under the Children and Young People Act, implementing a key recommendation of the Our Booris, Our Way review and key commitments under Safe and Supported: The National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2021-2031.
"The system reform that is underway will offer new pathways for vulnerable children, young people and families to a better future," said Minister Pettersson. "This National Child Protection Week we recognise the commitment of individuals, organisations and the Government to strengthening families and keeping children and young people safe, strong and connected."
