Child Protection Storyboard

Child Protection Storyboard is a national advocacy project working to monitor the implementation of specific commitments made under the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2009-2020.

The National Framework was endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) on 30 April 2009 and sets out a major reform agenda in child protection.

UnitingCare Australia welcomes the COAG endorsement of Australia's first National Child Protection Framework and hopes to see a successful implementation of its commitments.

UnitingCare services working with children and families have established the Child Protection Storyboard project to monitor commitments made under National Framework and to inform stakeholders of how commitments are being implemented across Australia.

UnitingCare Australia hopes the Storyboard project will help all stakeholders to understand the sometimes complex tale of how key commitments are implemented.

The project will assist with making sense of complex government programs and policies by telling straightforward stories that are easy to understand and easy to track over time.

The release of the first Child Protection Storyboard E-newsletter coincides with the first anniversary of the adoption of the National Framework by Federal and State Governments.

Mid 2010
First annual report on the progress of the first three-year action plan due.

Ministerial forum on the National Framework expected to be held.

Proposed National Standards for out-of-home care expected to be available for comment.

What's The Story?

The Child Protection Storyboard project has commenced with the project initially monitoring the implementation of six commitments made under the National Framework, these are listed below.

What National Framework Commitments Are Being Monitored?

The six commitments being monitored by Child Protection Storyboard cover critical areas including joining up service delivery, improving secondary services, national standards for out of home care, leaving care and early childhood education, the specific commitments are:

2.1B Implement integrated and co-located child and family service models including:

35 Indigenous Child and Family Centres (Commonwealth)
Brighter Futures early intervention program (NSW)
SCAN multi-agency teams (QLD)
integrated child and family case management system (SA)
coordination service for pregnant women and their families (ACT)
Best Beginnings program (WA)
6 multidisciplinary Autism Early Learning and Care Centres (Commonwealth)
Child and Family Services Alliances (VIC)

2.3A Implement a national approach to early childhood education and care including:

universal access to quality early childhood education and care in the year prior to schooling by 2013
National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care and the Early Years Learning Framework
National Early Years Workforce Strategy (COAG)

2.4B Expand and/or target State and Territory family support programs for vulnerable families and children at-risk such as:

Victoria's continued roll-out of Child FIRST
NSW's Keep Them Safe initiatives including new Child Wellbeing Units and expanding Brighter Futures.

4.3A Support for young people leaving care Increase support through NGOs for young people leaving care to establish their Independence (CMTH)

4.3B Continue and improve State and Territory initiatives targeting young people as they leave care, such as:

NT's Leaving Care options package
ACT's Time to Fly leaving care kit

4.4A Develop and introduce ambitious National Standards for Out-of-home Care ... which:

focus on key areas that directly impact on the outcomes and experiences of children and young people in out-of-home care - allow for mutual recognition of existing State and Territory quality assurance standards and processes that meet the requirements of the National Standards - include the development of an agreed evidence tool to verify, review and monitor progress against agreed national standards

Child Protection Storyboard staff have begun writing to government departments across Australia to request information about how governments are implementing National Framework commitments in their jurisdictions.

The responses to these letters will enable Child Protection Storyboard to tell stakeholders how commitments are being implemented across Australia. The second E-newsletter will focus on National Standards for Out-of-home Care. Child Protection Storyboard staff have written to relevant departments and asked governments questions about the development of the national standards, including topics such as; consultation process, data collection, measurement of standards etc. Government responses to these questions will be published in the next Child Protection Storyboard E-newsletter.

End picture

Submission into the Development of National Standards for Out-of-Home Care. UnitingCare Australia, together with the UnitingCare network, have written a submission in response to the National Standards for OOHC - Consultation Paper - January 2010. This is a continuation of UnitingCare Australia’s work under their Early Years and Vulnerable Families national advocacy priority. This submission is available here.

Coaltion Briefing
UnitingCare Australia will be briefing the Coalition of Organisations Committed to the Safety and Wellbeing of Australia's Children on the Child Protection Storyboard project at the Coalition's meeting on 3 May 2010. This will also provide an opportunity for Coalition members to provide feedback on the Storyboard project.

The next issue will provide an update on the implementation of action 4.4A Develop and introduce ambitious National Standards for Out-of-home Care ...

Child Protection Storyboard is self funded by UnitingCare organisations across Australia and will be working collaboratively with, and seeking wide support from, key interest groups and stakeholders working in the interest of children's safety and wellbeing.

The Child Protection Storyboard project values the relationship it has with the Coalition of Organisations Committed to the Safety and Wellbeing of Australia's Children and appreciates its feedback and support. Child Protection Storyboard is independent of the Coalition's work to assist with the implementation of the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children. Child Protection Storyboard intends to strengthen and build on the work of the Coalition to ensure that governments follow through on commitments made in the National Framework.

Contact Us: storyboard@ucwesleyadelaide.org.au
Media Enquires: Judith Tokley, Director Services Development, UnitingCare Australia, 02 6249 6717 and 0408 824 306

This project is facilitated by
UnitingCare Wesley | GPO Box 2534 Adelaide SA 5001 | 08 8202 5177 | Copyright (C) 2010
under the auspices of the UnitingCare Australia Children, Young People and Families Network

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