Released 02/02/2023
The ACT Government has joined the Commonwealth Government, all states and the Northern Territory to progress a joint commitment to supporting children and young people to thrive in safe, nurturing families and communities.
The 2023-2026 Action Plans for Safe and Supported: The National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children (2021-2031), launched yesterday, set out how governments and non-government sector partners will work together to achieve better outcomes for vulnerable children, young people and their families.
Minister for Families and Community Services Rachel Stephen-Smith said Safe and Supported acknowledges that all governments must work together to achieve better outcomes.
“This Strategy recognises the critical roles of service providers, community-controlled organisations and people with lived experience in designing services and programs.
“These Action Plans commit us to real action and genuine collaboration in line with the vision of the ACT’s Next Steps for Our Kids Strategy – that children and young people are safe, strong, connected and living their best life,” said Minister Stephen-Smith.
Input from the ACT Government and representation from the Our Booris, Our Way Implementation Oversight Committee have ensured the Strategy and Action Plans align with the priorities of the ACT locally.
“The development of the Safe and Supported Strategy and Action Plans has only been possible through the partnership with non-government organisations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders. I would like to particularly thank the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership group and SNAICC for their continued engagement and commitment in pushing for greater, more meaningful action.
“The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan recognises that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families have unique rights, strengths and needs that must be considered in implementing both Action Plans.
“This is similar to our approach in the ACT, where Next Steps sits alongside our work to address the recommendations of the Our Booris, Our Way review,” said Minister Stephen-Smith.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan has a strong focus on supporting the development the of Aboriginal community controlled sector and to empowering community controlled organisations to take up a greater role in statutory child protection systems, in the spirit of genuine self-determination.
The ACT is working closely with the Our Booris, Our Way Implementation Oversight Committee and existing and emerging community-controlled organisations to advance this work.
The ACT Government has and will continue to make substantial investments in the sector locally. This includes the recently completed new facility for Winnunga Nimmityah Aboriginal Health and Community Services and the planned new facility for Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation.
Quotes attributable to Natalie Brown, Chair of the Our Booris, Our Way Implementation Oversight Committee:
The first action plan for the national framework for protecting Australia's children, launched on Tuesday 31 January 2023, features 8 action items. Combined, they reflect the recommendations of the Our Booris Our Way Report that were accepted by the ACT Government in 2019.
As a result of this, the ACT is already working towards or has achieved some implementation of the action items. Whilst some of these recommendations, such as establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Commissioner and legislating the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principles are making clear progress, we must accelerate active efforts on other recommendations. Recommendations such as growing Aboriginal led decision making and addressing the inequity in access to legal representation.
But what is even more important than this, and there is agreement across all jurisdictions on this, that there must be meaningful early supports and services for families so that children do not have to enter the out of home care system in order to receive the supports that they need.
These services must address key social determinants including housing, health, education and justice. All Directorates are therefore responsible for collaborating to drive these changes, not just our local Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and the Our Booris, Our Way Implementation Oversight Committee. We must all be committed to making this happen for the best interests of our children and families.
- Statement ends -
Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases