Released 07/12/2022
Community partners, academics and government representatives came together yesterday to collaborate on ensuring Canberra’s children, young people and families are safe, strong and connected.
Convened by Minister for Families and Community Services Rachel Stephen-Smith, the forum brought together more than 70 non-government partners to discuss the next steps in the ACT Government’s ongoing reform program for child, youth and family services.
A key focus of the reform agenda is to provide earlier supports for children, young people and their families, reducing the need for crisis or statutory services. This will mean people can access the supports and services they need, when they need it, addressing problems early to ensure long-term wellbeing.
The forum follows on from one held in March 2021. Since then the sector has provided critical input and advice on several reforms, including:
- Next Steps for Our Kids: the ACT strategy for strengthening families and keeping children and young people safe (Next Steps) – the ACT Government’s ambitious plan to reform out of home care and child protection in the ACT over the next 8 years.
- Best Start for Canberra’s Children: the First 1000 Days Strategy – which sets out the vision and principles for how the ACT Government will work to ensure early and improved support for children and families in the first 1000 days of life.
- Raising the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility – the ACT Government’s commitment to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility in a staged way to 12 and then 14.
- The ongoing work to implement the recommendations of the Our Booris Our Way Review into the over-representation and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and families in the child protection and out of home care systems.
“Canberra can be a leader in how we collectively support children, young people and families who are experiencing risk to their safety and wellbeing” said Minister Stephen-Smith.
“We have done the work to establish a clear, coordinated set of strategies and reforms to guide changes to legislation, policy and practice over the remainder of this decade. This forum was an opportunity to come together and continue our collaborative work on implementing this vision.
“I thank all the participants for their valuable contributions and for their dedication to changing the lives of ACT children, young people and families for the better,” said Minister Stephen-Smith.
Quotes attributable to Dr Stephanie Hodson, Chief Executive Officer, Relationships Australia Canberra & Region:
“Yesterday was an opportunity to use the experience and wisdom in the room to prioritise reform actions to strengthen families and partner with community. There was so much energy in the room today the community sector, ACT Government and researchers worked as a team to improve the system to support children and families”.
Quote attributable to Frances Crimmins, Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Canberra:
“The forum provided a wonderful opportunity to come together to collectively discuss children and family system reform, focusing on how we work to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children while working to keep families together or connected”.
- Statement ends -
Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases