Third Action Plan (2015-18) under the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020
The period from 2009-10 to 2013-14 saw an increase of 31% in the number of children who were the subject of substantiations of abuse and neglect, rising from 31,295 to a staggering 40,844 children effected. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were 7 times more likely than non-Indigenous children to be receiving child protection services in 2013-14.
While Australia in the global context is seen as an affluent, educated and developed country, we have not learnt the value of children in society and too many children continue to be mistreated. Through collective efforts such as the National Framework we can work towards awareness, education and prevention, protecting the most vulnerable and precious individuals in our community.
The Third Action Plan (2015-18) under the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020 was formally launched by Commonwealth Minister for Social Services, the Hon. Christian Porter MP, on 9 December 2015. For the full text of the Third Action Plan click here.
The National Coalition Steering Group, of which our Director, Tony Pietropiccolo AM, is a member, was heavily involved in negotiating the Third Action Plan with Federal, State and Territory Governments. Many members of the National Coalition participated in one of the many National Roundtables held during the first half of 2015.
Below is a summary of the key elements of the new Plan. It represents a significant package of measures, especially in providing greater emphasis on prevention and early intervention, on the first thousand days of a child’s life, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people transitioning from out-of-home care, and child-safe organisations.
Third Action Plan in a nutshell
Key areas of work in the Third Action Plan (2015-18) will be:
- prevention and early intervention so children are safe and well and families receive support when they need it, especially in the first thousand days of a child’s life,
- better supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities to help reduce the number of children in need of child protection services,
- increasing support for young people in out-of-home care to help them move to independence, and
- building child-safe organisations.