Shaping a Better Child Protection System
The NSW Government is committed to improving the lives of vulnerable children and their families with better laws, policies, systems and practices
Major changes to the Child Protection System
On 29 March 2017, the Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Department of Communities and Justice Pru Goward announced major changes to the child protection system.
In the short term, DCJ will be:
- changing the way we fund our service partners, starting with performance-based contracting to focus on finding children in care a permanent home within two years
- introducing a new service model based on child and family-centred tailored support packages
- introducing a new means-tested adoption allowance to help foster carers make their care arrangements permanent
- helping families stay together using new intensive home-based family preservation and restoration models that target the causes of harm and treat trauma.
In the longer term, Their Futures Matter – a new approach to child protection and wellbeing in NSW will bring together all government agencies, non-government organisations and the community to deliver the right supports to vulnerable children and families.
Within the next three years, Their Futures Matter will deliver:
- Needs-based supports: All children in, or at risk of entering out-of-home care (OOHC), and their families, will be receiving a coordinated package of supports based on their needs.
- One connected response: A dedicated commissioning entity, independent of service delivery agencies, will be established to drive a single response for vulnerable children and families.
- A smart system: An investment approach will be adopted across all services to ensure funding and evidence are aligned most effectively to wellbeing outcomes.
Our new approach to child protection will ensure a coordinated response across government and the sector and will address the needs of children and families early to give them a strong foundation for a better life.