Government Response To The Special Commission Of Inquiry Into Child Protection

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4th March 2009, 02:39pm - Views: 1078





Culture Indigenous Absec; Aboriginal Child, Family And Community Care State Secretariat 1 image


Level 7, 104 Bathurst Street,  Sydney  NSW 2000


PO Box A2409, SYDNEY SOUTH NSW 1235


ABN: 22 477 168 898



Telephone: (02) 9264 0088 Fax: (02) 9264 0090



Email: eo@absec.org.au 









MEDIA RELEASE 





3rd March 2009   


Government Response to the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child

Protection in NSW (the Inquiry) welcomed by the Aboriginal Child,

Family and Community Care State Secretariat (AbSec).


AbSec, as the peak body advising government on Aboriginal Child Protection and Out of Home

Care (OOHC) issues in NSW welcomes the Governments response to the recommendations

contained in the report of the Inquiry. 


AbSec congratulates the Premier and the Minister for Community services for the collaborative

approach they have taken in developing and framing the response - especially those parts of the

response linked to the safety and well being of Aboriginal Children and Young People.


The focus on building on existing Aboriginal community capacity and strengths is to be applauded,

whilst the acceptance of the development of new innovative programs will hopefully usher in a

new era of a collaborative partnership approach to Aboriginal service provision in the child

protection and OOHC sector.


The holistic approach broached by the government, acknowledges that Aboriginal child wellbeing

and safety are inextricably linked to overcoming broader Aboriginal social disadvantage in such

areas as housing, health and education and the report should lead to greater collaboration

between the relevant government departments and the NGO sector. The Chairperson of AbSec -

Amanda Bridge stated “The time is right to acknowledge that Aboriginal people and communities

need to be fully engaged in a joint response that will ensure the wellbeing of our children – we

have the knowledge, skills and abilities to work with the government and non government sectors

to reduce the gross over representation of our children in the child protection, OOHC and Juvenile

Justice systems”.


AbSec looks forward to the implementation of the responses and believes that this is the best

opportunity for the Department of Community Services to work in a true partnership framework

with Aboriginal communities and families and the Aboriginal and Non Aboriginal NGO sector. The

CEO of AbSec, Bill Pritchard said, “We really hope that this response will lead to a day in the

future where a knock on the door from DoCS will not only be seen by Aboriginal people as the

start of a process for the removal of their children but instead will be seen as a new start where

Aboriginal people will be able to work in a trusting environment to ensure the safety of their

children”       


ACWA, SNAICC and AbSec are holding a sector forum on 11 March to examine Aboriginal

capacity building and partnership development issues. (details at



MEDIA CONTACTS

For comments please contact:

Bill Pritchard


Executive Officer 

Mob 0408 888 698

Amanda Bridge   

Chairperson


Mob 0414 897 565











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