MEDIA RELEASE 21 JANUARY 2010
Coalition secretariat: Families Australia, 7 National Circuit Barton ACT,
Coalition of Organisations Committed to the
Safety and Wellbeing of Australia’s Children
___________________________________________________________________
Child protection woes continue; national
redoubling of efforts needed
The Coalition of Organisations Committed to the Safety and Wellbeing of
Australia’s Children is appalled by figures contained in today’s report by the
Australian Institute for Health and Welfare relating to child protection in
Australia.
It is alarming that, in the past year, the number of children on care and protection
orders rose by 8.5% to 35,409
and the number of children in out-of-home care
increased by 9.3%.
It is also matter of major national concern that the rate of Indigenous children on care
and protection orders was more than 8 times the rate of non-Indigenous children.
The rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care was
just over 9 times the rate of non-Indigenous children.
The Coalition of Organisations Committed to the Safety and Wellbeing of Australia’s
Children calls on all Australian Governments –
Federal and State/Territory –
to
redouble their efforts on child safety and wellbeing.
Coalition spokesperson Brian Babington said: ‘The COAG-endorsed National
Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2009-2020 is a welcome start, but
there needs to be a greater sense of urgency and far more resources applied to
tackling the problem, in particular, by working to strengthen families before problems
get out of control. Children cannot wait.’
The 76-member Coalition of Organisations Committed to the Safety and Wellbeing of
Australia’s Children played a leading role in advocating for, and negotiating, the
National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children. It is now helping to
implement the National Framework. The Coalition comprises organisations which
provide services to children, young people and families on the ground across
Australia, as well as many key advocates and researchers in the areas of child
protection and children’s wellbeing.
For more comment, contact Brian Babington on 0417 550 149 or 02 6273 4885.
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