Early intervention best way to protect children as stats worsen

OVER

the past month pictures of distressed children, torn from their parents’ embrace, on the Mexico-US border have frequented our news feeds, no doubt raising for many, feelings of outrage and disgust.

Whilst I worry about the some 2000 children already transported into temporary and unfamiliar foster care in 17 US states, it has also caused me reason to pause and think about how Australian and Tasmanian children are treated.

Some of us, perhaps in ignorance, believe this could never happen in Australia, or Tasmania.

Indeed many rightly point out Australia’s own offshore detention processes and the trauma being caused to those who we leave there.

The critical spotlight of the Royal Commission into child abuse continues to shine on the “seal of the confessional” of the Roman Catholic Church.

At Relationships Australia Tasmania, we have expertly trained and qualified professional staff who have to deal with some of the most difficult family situations.

And they, like teachers, police officers and doctors, have a responsibility to report abuse if they believe that a child is at risk of, or is actually suffering.

It’s called mandatory reporting, the basis of which is that the rights of the child are paramount and it ensures that child abuse and neglect are not hidden.

I am pleased to see the Hodgman Liberal Government acknowledging the importance of our children’s safety, through both the joining of the National Redress Scheme for the victims of historic child abuse, and the Attorney-General tabling legislation that makes priests mandatory reporters.

Elise Archer told Parliament that her Government also accepts inprinciple the need for a specific criminal offence targeting the failure to report child sexual abuse and criminalising such behaviour.

That the Catholic Church and the Australian Catholic bishops are still clinging to their position that mandatory reporting of confessions has no effect on child safety or in some cases would actually make children less safe, just beggars belief.

The seal of the confessional should have been broken decades ago.

The tragic stories from the Royal Commission serve as strong proof of this — stories that illustrated the vulnerability of our children and the negligence of not only major churches but other trusted organisations in putting the safety and wellbeing of our children first.

The other major issue that must be addressed in Tasmania is the serious reform of the child protection system.

The Government, the new department and its staff, and the community services sector need to work together to fix what has become broken.

It’s a good start to create a new department but it’s time to spend the money proactively — a highlight of the last two state budgets — to protect Tasmanian children.

In the last budget, $25 million was allocated and in this year’s recent budget, a further $24 million.

The funding in the budget is for a redesign of the child protection system.

Minister Roger Jaensch said the money would allow up to 25 more child safety officers and support staff to be employed, as well as providing for more complex care packages for children in outof-home care.

But as my colleague Kym Goodes, Tasmanian Council of Social Service CEO, has said, we need more investment in early intervention.

The science is in on early intervention funding making significant gains in cost savings down the line.

Preventing children going into care should be our primary aim, while keeping them safe from harm.

In Tasmania, too many children and young people are going into care.

We must support families so that they are able to keep and care for their children through teaching them new skills to cope with the modern pressures of parenting.

In other words, we need proactive, preventive parenting programs that work for parents and their kids, as well as ways to accurately measure how those programs are succeeding.

At Relationships Australia Tasmania, we are seeing increased reporting of incidents across the board.

When we meet with families, we have special screening tools — for family violence, child safety and for suicide risk.

Sadly, for Tasmania in 2018, in all of these areas we are seeing increased reporting.

As our economy continues to improve, we must always focus on those who are not enjoying the fruits of that, particularly our children, because they are the future of Tasmania.

Lifeline 13 11 14. Relationships Australia 1300 364 277.