Child Protection Services
Many organisations are involved in the protection of children. Working in that field would, no doubt, be onerous. However, while:
child protection laws vary from state to state often hindering or preventing prosecution of offenders;
social workers, Family Report Writers, Child Reps, Psych's, Judges etc are all entitled to their own perceptions - no matter how bizarre of what is ‘safe’ for a child and what is not;
there are no court sanctioned guidelines available to parents and protection workers about what is ‘appropriate’ parenting and ‘inappropriate’ carers;
court sanctioned guidelines on how to record and report abuse and disclosures by children that will not be seen as abusive or malicious behaviour by protective parents/persons are not available,
the ‘system’ will continue to fail and children like Jeremy, Bianca, Wade, Marilyn, Sebastian, Jessie and Patrick, Dean, 'Ebony' and so many others will continue to be abused or to die untimely deaths.
Many protective parents whose experiences are documented in various submissions and articles , have said that when it is a Family Court matter, child protection services ( in all States) have not been of assistance. The workload is known to be overwhelming. Are these services so understaffed and under funded that in order to get through the workload, children known at be 'at risk' are left in abusive situations while reports in family law matters are dismissed as false allegations or the result or malicious parental alienation tactics?
DOCS in the dock again
A YOUNG boy was raped and abused by a foster carer after DOCS failed to act on a father's warning that his son was being invited into the pervert's bedroom at night.
DOCS' shame will be complete tomorrow when the paedophile foster carer, who cannot be named because of a suppression order, is sentenced in the Downing Centre District Court for having sex with a child under the age of 10 years and two counts of assault with an act of indecency on a child.
Dont blame DOCS
This gentleman hits the nail on the head. The COMMUNITY should also be responsible for child protection. It cannot be the sole responsibility of a government agency.
Holes in the child welfare net
When parents experience an acrimonious divorce, the dispute over property and custody of children often ends up in the Family Court.
When a child is alleged to have been sexually abused, the case is investigated by State child protection bodies and the police.But when a child is caught in both situations at the same time, the results can be disastrous.
Tonight we tell the story of one boy who fell between the State and Federal jurisdictions as each left it to the other to protect him from sexual abuse.
Trial by the media
There are some lessons here too for the Australian model of child protection.
When the murder of Baby P hit the headlines in November the familiar castigation in the press of the social workers "responsible" was quick to follow. Baby P’s family had been seen 60 times by professionals, including social workers, by the time he died in August 2007. But, as with the Victoria Climbié case in 2001 and countless child abuse cases before and since, it was the social worker assigned to the case, her manager and director for children’s services who were singled out for particularly damning criticism by the media.
The idea that someone other than the abuser themselves is responsible is peculiar to this country. Unlike many of our European neighbours, which have inquisitorial legal systems, our adversarial one produces a culture of individualism and a feeling that someone somewhere must be to blame.
Child protection Australia 2006–07
This report draws together a large amount of statistical material and could not have been
produced without the efforts and cooperation of the members of the National Child
Protection and Support Services (NCPASS) data group who contributed substantially to the
content of this report. Statistics make for interesting interpretations. For example the tables on page 34 can be seen to show that around 50% or more of substantiated child abuse occurred in families where a father or father figure was present. Given that the most common cause for abuse in single parent families is bought about by financial and other stress, this interpretation of these statistics does not support the 'theories' that 'fatherlessness' caused by deliberate alienation of children from their fathers, by mothers, is the scourge of western society.
Child protection failing in NSW
A report into child deaths in NSW has highlighted ongoing failures in the state's child protection systems, with previously identified problems still occurring.
A report from Ombudsman Bruce Barbour, tabled in the NSW parliament, deals with 117 "re viewable" child deaths in 2005.
Queensland’s child protection system
The safety and well being of children and young people is a responsibility shared by families, communities and government. Child abuse and neglect occurs throughout Australia, across all social, economic and cultural groups. The risk of child abuse and neglect is influenced by a range of factors, and may often be associated with other family circumstances such as low income, substance abuse and domestic violence. (Pages 30, 31, 37 of particular interest)
Dead: two children the system failed
At least two children have died in recent years as a result of the Department of Community Services buck-passing its responsibilities to the Family Court. DOCS also failed to investigate allegations of child abuse, or failed to take legal action, because parents were involved in custody and access disputes before the court, according to documents.
The department believed the Family Court would determine the truth of the allegations or whether parental malice was behind them. But the court has no resources or power to investigate allegations of child abuse, and must rely on reports from state child protection departments
Wade Scale's death prompts 'more rigorous' parent tests
The Western Australian Government agency responsible for child protection says it has been conducting more rigorous testing of parents following the death of baby Wade Scale.
It says it is impossible to guarantee similar mistakes will not occur.
A review is under way into the Department of Community Development's child protection cases after the coroner criticised the way it handled Wade's case. The 11-month-old was found drowned in a bath with adult medication in his body. Kristen John Scale was his carer.
Save the children
She abandoned her children to the full-time care of two men she had just met at a train station, without asking for their last names and without leaving her phone number. Three weeks later, her three-year-old son had been anally raped and repeatedly given electric shocks before dying of indeterminate causes. Her six-year-old daughter, who had almost certainly witnessed her little brother's agonising last hours, had also endured multiple sexual assaults.
Tragically, the case of Bianca and Jeremy Lennon is no aberration. In the year Jeremy died, so too did 83 other children known to the Department of Community Services in NSW alone. In 2004, the last year for which these type of figures are publicly available, 72 such children died.
7000 abuse cases ignored
ALMOST 7000 reports of child abuse in South Australia were not investigated last year. A report released yesterday by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows SA is bucking the trend of the other states and territories by investigating fewer cases. Australia's Welfare 2007 found reports of physical, sexual or emotional abuse and neglect increased across Australia in the past five years.
Former employee claims department failed 10year old rape victim 7.30 Report- ABC.
In this we hear a former employee of QLD child protection services state: that a written report by the whistle blower on a serious case of child abuse was torn up by his superior because it was election time and the report would be too damaging. That the social worker was very proud of the fact that due to his personal diligence and commitment to his job he had reduced child abuse in his area of operations to zero cases. Instead of him being commended he was reprimanded by his superior in the department because such an achievement would result in a reduction in funding to the department.
Ombudsman's Report Reviewable child deaths in 2005
In 2005, the deaths of 117 children were reviewable. In 109 cases, the child's death was reviewable because they, or their sibling, had been the subject of a report to DoCS in the three years before the child died. For the remaining eight children, there had been no such report to DoCS. Their deaths were reviewable because the children died as a result of abuse or neglect, or in suspicious circumstances. Of the children who were known to DoCS, the deaths of 25 were attributed to abuse or neglect, or occurred in suspicious circumstances.
Foster Carers Not Told of Horror Ordeal
The Macfarlanes believe their experience is typical of contact with bureaucrats. They ignore evidence of sexual abuse, ignore evidence of neglect by family members, force children into contact with abusive relatives, fail to provide support services, use inexperienced and immature social workers, and postpone treatment of children to avoid incurring costs.
System ‘put parental right’before children’s safety
VICTORIA'S child protection system had a culture of minimal intervention that favoured parents' rights over the safety of children. "Children are extraordinarily vulnerable yet for some reason we have the least scrutiny of what actually occurs," he said. "Any scrutiny tends to be minimalist and there is no independent scrutiny until the horror stories come before the courts." "I think some of the decisions of the Children's Court have been oriented too much towards parents' rights rather than the safety of children."
Rethink on sending home abused kids
THE policy of keeping families together at all costs by returning abused children to their natural parents may be abandoned in Queensland. Premier Peter Beattie. " ..children are being abused by parents then parents should lose that right. " Too often the abuse is coming from parents and therefore clearly we have to look at what is in the best interests of the child. If that means being taken away from their natural parents then so be it."
Report on Foster Care
The Australian reported the case of an Adelaide couple who had one such child placed in their care, a 12 year old girl had been in foster care since the age of three, who suffered a horrible ordeal where she was raped by an intruder who also murdered her carer. The couple were not told of the child's background by the department and had to deal with her behaviour, and informed by a junior social worker 'I've got a university degree, you don't make the decisions'.
Universities failing social workers and children
In recent weeks The Australian has drawn attention to the inappropriate behaviour of social workers towards children, leading at times to non-accidental child deaths .Recent national research showed that 73% of foster carers thought that the worst aspect of fostering was dealing with the department's workers, many of whom lack the knowledge needed to make sound decisions relating to traumatised children.How can you expect social workers to make wise decisions for the care and safety of children when their professional education focuses on social policy, social justice, communities, social engineering, social work theory and all from an adult perspective with nothing about their most important clients: children.
Joint Investigation Response Teams (JIRTs)
are made up of DoCS, NSW Police and NSW Health professionals who undertake joint investigation of child protection matters. Joint investigations link the risk assessment and protective interventions of DoCS with the criminal investigation conducted by Police. The policy and procedures of JIRT are published on this site. Of special interest is the direction on page 44:
Be aware of:
• Complainants where there are contentious Family Law Court proceedings
LABOR INACTION PUTS CHILDREN AT RISK
Attorney-General Philip Ruddock today expressed concern over the inaction of State and Territory authorities in investigating allegations of child abuse and neglect, particularly those raised in family law proceedings.
“It is unacceptable that allegations of child abuse are being ignored,” Mr Ruddock said. “Child protection agencies in the States and Territories have been shown time and again to be failing in their responsibilities”.
“When you consider the immense revenue windfall that the States have received from the GST, it is extraordinary that core services like child protection remain dysfunctional”.
power4parents
The brain child of a self employed Gold Coast mother of 5 who found herself on the wrong side of DoCS through no fault of her own.
After investigating everything to do with her situation, she found that not only were there problems with the Child Protection Act 1999 but that there is an alarming rate of problems throughout Australia with DoCS officers and DoCS workers.
Protect me from child protectors
Of course we need the State to intervene when parents mistreat their children. But there is too long a history of child protection agencies pursuing obsessive campaigns against families and carers, devoid of evidence, sheltered from criticism by the secrecy of the family courts — and escaping with their jobs when their incompetence is exposed.
Increase in child protection reports 'tragic' - Meagher
The NSW Department of Community Services (DOCS) says the number of child protection reports it handles has increased by more than 30 per cent in 18 months. (Aug 27 2006)
NSW Minister for Community Services Reba Meagher said DOCS received 64,880 child protection reports in the first three months of this year, up 30.2 per cent on the 49,840 in the September 2004 quarter.
In memory of Sarah
Sarah was previously referred to as "Lisa Eastley" who was forced by DoCS to have chemotherapy against her will, in an ordeal that started 2 years ago when she was diagnosed with cancer. During the past 9 months, her health had been relatively stable while being treated holistically by Dr. Eckard Roehrich who stood up in court for the family's rights to choose the valid treatment of their choice for their daughter. This family's plight is written in the in an article entitled DoCS-Stealing our Children for Medicine. A few weeks after Dr. Roehrich's efforts in Court he heard from the NSW Medical Board who took action against him which culminated in the suspension of his licence five weeks ago. Sarah who looked well and vibrant in July 2004 when the above photograph was taken, began to deteriorate when her regular treatments with Dr. Roehrich stopped. Her parents were forced to search interstate for a similar treatment but by then she had become critically ill. Sarah Westley, the beloved 13 year old daughter of Mark and Dianne, died on the late evening of October 25, 2004. She left behind 4 sisters and a brother, and adoring parents and grandparents. She was loved by all her close and loving family, extended family and friends.
Responding to allegations of harm to a child by a parent with a Family Court of Australia parenting order
When information is received that a child is suspected of being harmed or at risk of harm by a parent, where there are Family Court parenting orders in place, the information is assessed in accordance with usual departmental intake procedures. If the caller is the other parent, it should not be assumed that the allegations are malicious or vexatious.
Non Government Child Protection Agencies
links to other web sites