THE INQUIRY BEGINS ITS ABOUT TIME

CHILD PROTECTION INQUIRY LAUNCHED FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 16 May 2016 An Upper House Committee has established an inquiry into child protection. ‘There is no question that a first order responsibility of government is to ensure that the most vulnerable in society, particularly children and young people, are protected and cared for,’ said Hon Greg Donnelly MLC, Chair of General Purpose Standing Committee No. 2. ‘The aim of the inquiry is to strengthen the protection of the most vulnerable children in our community, those at risk of harm and in out of home care.’ ‘While the current system is doing its best to protect children and young people, there is always room for improvement. Our committee intends to make a positive contribution by shining a light on areas needing attention and exploring how we can address those issues. Particular attention will be given to looking at the procedures, practices and systems that operate in the area of child protection.’ The inquiry will look at the role of the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) and non-government organisations in protecting children and young people at risk of harm. Key issues include:  adequacy of funding to employ specialist caseworkers and other frontline personnel, as well as funding for prevention and early intervention  efficacy of the tools used to assess risk of harm reports  training and monitoring of foster carers  oversight by the Office of the Children’s Guardian  initiatives to protect indigenous children and young people. Submissions from individuals and organisations are invited by Sunday, 3 July 2016. The committee intends to hold public hearings from August/September this year. More information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference, can be found on our website: www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/childprotection. For further information please contact the Committee Chair,