On 31 October 2025, Community Services Ministers met on Gadigal Country in Sydney.
Community Services Ministers discussed how the Commonwealth, states and territories can work together to help ensure that every child, every family and every community has the opportunity to thrive.
Ministers discussed priorities for the Council and agreed that the Commonwealth's recently announced reform to families and children's programs provides an opportunity to prioritise early intervention activities of all governments. They agreed that workforce capacity building and development is urgently needed across families and children's sector, particularly for Aboriginal Community-led organisations and will continue talking about support for care leavers and carers.
Ministers reaffirmed their governments' commitments to the safety, wellbeing and protection of children. Ministers noted the work underway nationally, particularly through the Standing Council of Attorneys-General and Education Ministers to strengthen Working With Children Checks and reaffirmed their government's commitments to strengthening systems to keep our children safe.
Minister for Families and Communities, Minister for Disability Inclusion, the Hon Kate Washington MP (NSW) led a discussion about opportunities for Community Services Ministers to inform the approach to mandatory training for Working with Children Checks and inform the future work of the Standing Council of Attorneys-General.
Minister for Child Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, the Hon Amanada Camm MP (Queensland) provided an update on the Queensland Commission of Inquiry into the Child Safety System.
Minister for Child Protection and Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, Minister Stojkovski (WA) acknowledged the need for a greater focus on Aboriginal Community-led organisations capability building and the importance of examining opportunities with Visa requirements as it pertains to international recruitment for the child protection workforce.
Ministers also discussed approaches to decision making in child protection in their jurisdictions with the aim of sharing best practices to keep children safe with families. Ministers agreed to further share best practices at the next meeting and step up joint efforts to make a difference.
Ministers discussed the life-long consequences of poor adoption practices. Ministers committed to collaborate to advance ways to access historical records for intercountry adoptees, Care Leavers and forced adoptees. The Forced Adoption Working Group (FAWG) will be reoriented to ensure timely access to adoption records.
Ministers discussed how all levels of government can work together to reduce the number of children going into out-of-home care. Ministers acknowledged that Closing the Gap Target 12 - reducing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by 45% by 2031 is off track and agreed that urgent and collective action is needed.
Ministers agreed that the Commonwealth and states and territories will step up efforts to identify more ways to work together to reduce entries to out-of-home care, particularly for First Nations children.
Minister for Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, the Hon Katrine Hildyard MP (SA), presented an overview of the key findings and directions from the South Australian Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Report invited discussion about implications and areas for collaboration and spoke to the deep intersection between child protection, family support and domestic family sexual violence and the need to approach it together.
Ministers noted the Commonwealth's update on progressing responses to the Rapid Review of Prevention Approaches, and recommendations 5 and 16 that fall in the remit of Community Services Ministers. All jurisdictions will report on progress towards these recommendations as part of governments' collective responses to the Rapid Review to National Cabinet by the end of the year.
Ministers agreed to seek a joint meeting with the Women and Women's Safety Ministerial Council in February 2026 to discuss collective efforts to address child protection and family safety.
