Minister for Families and Community Services Rachel Stephen-Smith today launched Next Steps for our Kids 2022-2030: ACT Strategy to Strengthen Families and Keep Children and Young People Safe.
"The ACT Government wants all children and young people to grow up strong, safe and connected, including when they are in care or are at risk of coming into the statutory care system," Minister Stephen-Smith said.
"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.
"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.
"Through Next Steps our focus will be on delivering more widely available and earlier support services to families, young people and children in need.
"One of our most important priorities continues to be 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," Minister Stephen-Smith said.
Initiatives to be implemented over the next eight years include:
- Developing Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCO) and transitioning responsibility for case management of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
- Establishing best practice processes for reviewing child protection decisions.
- Improving early referral and access for families to community-based supports.
- Increasing access to pre-natal and early parenting support for parents at risk of engagement with child protection.
- Embedding family-led decision making, including family group conferencing, for all families where appropriate.
- Investing in training in restorative and trauma responsive approaches for child and youth protection workers and community partners.
- Establishing an intensive trauma recovery service for adolescents and young adults.
- Extending the provision of care to any young person seeking this until age 21.
- Strengthening therapeutic residential care and models of support for young people with significant trauma behaviours.
"As part of our commitment to working collaboratively with community organisations, families, carers and children and young people, the ACT Government will co-design the actions plans to implement Next Steps. This work will be led by a new Ministerial Council that will engage our partners and embed the voices of young people," Minister Stephen-Smith said.
Next Steps was developed based on extensive consultation with young people, families, carers, advocates, child protection professionals and non-government service providers. It builds on contemporary data and an evaluation of outcomes from A Step Up for Our Kids, the ACT Government strategy operating since 2015.
"Improvements over the past six years include fewer children entering out-of-home care and more children, young people and families receiving family support services," Minister Stephen-Smith said.
"However, we know significant challenges remain. Child and youth protection is inherently complex, but we can do better. This new strategy outlines how we will work together to ensure all children and young people in the ACT are able to live their best lives."
Next Steps for our Kids 2022-2030 is available on the Community Services Directorate website.
