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
What the short term changes will mean for children and families
We want to move away from our focus on placements, towards a service system that puts families and children at the centre of decision-making, and focuses on individual needs and helping families to change. This means developing a case plan tailored to each individual child or young person with a goal of achieving a permanent home within two years of entering care.
Our first preference is to work to keep families together as much as possible, as we believe that with the right help, guidance and support, people can change.
We are investing $90 million to create 900 places for children in intensive family and restoration services, half of which will be dedicated to Aboriginal children and families.
For Aboriginal people, in particular, we will work more with extended family and kin because we know the importance of keeping children and young people connected to their family, culture and community.
Above all, the changes will see Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) caseworkers build better relationships with children and families so that they can work out how to make a family safe, include them in decision-making, and create change that ensures each child has a safe and permanent home where they can thrive.