CREATE’s monthly Advocacy Wrap Ups provide regular updates on our latest advocacy for improving the lives of children and young people with an out-of-home care experience.
Our Wrap Ups include:
- CREATE’s latest submissions on issues including youth justice, residential care, housing and more.
- Media releases and statements about current issues affecting children and young people in care.
- Relevant news and research in the sector so you can catch up on what has happened over the last month.
- A monthly advocacy focus. This month it’s Voices in Action.
- Consultation opportunities for children and young people to ensure that their lived experiences and voices are heard in decision-making about the out-of-home care system in Australia.
March advocacy focus
Over three days in Adelaide (21-23 March 2024), CREATE’s Voices in Action Conference brought together more than 500 delegates, including young people with lived experience of out-of-home care, policy makers, service providers, researchers, carers and practitioners to discuss and define solutions to some of the toughest challenges within the care system including
- Transition supports including housing and cost of living
- Barriers to education
- Residential care
- Maintaining sibling connections
- and the things that get in the way of children and young people in care maintaining their health and wellbeing.
Consultation opportunities
News
Latest research and reports
‘Closing the Gap’ targets are worsening, according to data from the Productivity Commission.
Consultation opportunities
News
Queensland has released its Child Death Review Report.
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The recent report by the Queensland Child Death Review has shed light on how isolation practices in youth detention are dangerous for the wellbeing of young people and could contribute to preventable deaths. Moreover, the report highlighted that there was an increase in children known to child protection who lost their lives. CREATE echoes the Australian and New Zealand Children’s Commissioners and Guardians Association Joint Statement on Isolation in Youth Detention calling for all Australian jurisdictions to cease isolation practices immediately.
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The Public Guardian’s community visitors have reported more than 550 issues on behalf of the children detained in adult watch houses since the start of this year. CREATE renews calls to stop detaining children in watch houses.
News
Northern Territory Youth Justice Review independent panel announced.
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The Northern Territory government has announced details for the Youth Justice Review. SNAICC’s CEO Catherine Liddle will be part of a 3 member independent panel. The review process will involve consultations with communities and stakeholders. CREATE calls for the NT government to include in the review the voices of young people with lived experience.
Housing prioritised in NT and WA.
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The government made a major $4 billion investment in the 10-year National Partnership for Remote Housing NT with the goal of addressing homelessness and overcrowding in the state. The Western Australian government has also announced $50 million towards community housing. These investments are promising, since housing could make a critical impact for children and young people involved in child protection. CREATE recommends allocating investment to safe and appropriate housing models for young people. These could include Youth Foyers, prioritising social housing for care leavers, and including young people’s voices in the housing reform.
News
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CREATE welcomes the announcement that Jason Kanoa, a proud Gunditjmara and Bunitj man, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Aboriginal Children and Young People’s Alliance (VACYPA). We look forward to supporting VACYPA’s advocacy efforts aimed at effecting systemic change for Aboriginal families, children, and young people across Victoria. Congratulations Jason.
Victorian Government provides a response to the Yoorrook for Justice report.
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CREATE echoes the sentiment of disappointment from Chair of the Yoorrook Justice Commission, Professor Eleanor Bourke, and Indigenous groups in Victoria, following the release of the Victorian Government‘s response to Yoorrook For Justice Recommendations. We share concerns that the Victorian Government has not supported Recommendation 35 to urgently raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years without exceptions. Young people with a care experience are disproportionately in contact with the youth justice system. CREATE urges the Victorian Government to hasten efforts to raise the age. We also call for the Victorian Government to reconsider its response to Recommendation 1 and commit to transferring decision-making power, authority, control and resources to First Peoples, giving full effect to self-determination in the Victorian child protection system. This is critical to reducing the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in care.
Consultation opportunities
Complete ACYP’s anonymous survey about online safety and issues you face online.
News
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CREATE is deeply concerned about reports that thousands of children, all found to be at significant risk of harm, are having their cases prematurely closed by the NSW Government. Ongoing media coverage highlights the need for major reform of the NSW child protection system. CREATE is calling on the NSW Government to balance investment to address the acute crisis end of the system, while also prioritising early intervention through intensive family supports, family preservation and reunification. Read our Pre-Budget Submission to the NSW Government here.
Concerning reports about Alternative Care Arrangements (ACAs) in NSW
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CREATE is deeply troubled by reports that a two-year-old foster care baby and their four-year-old sibling have been kept in hotel-style accommodation for 163 days. Recent media reports highlight an increasing trend in the length of time children and young people are now spending in Alternative Care Arrangements (ACAs) in NSW. Such arrangements are the result of reactive placement decisions due to system pressures and do not fully meet children’s developmental, relational and wellbeing needs. All children and young people in care should be supported to:
- develop a sense of security and stability within their placements,
- maintain positive physical and mental health
- engage in education and/or employment
- maintain and build social, cultural and community connections, and
- being actively involved in decisions that affect their lives.
As such, CREATE believes that all Australian governments should work towards transitioning away from the use of ACAs, especially as an entry point to out-of-home care, in favour of increased investment in early intervention programs and targeted, place-based recruitment drives to increase the number of foster carers entering the system. CREATE keenly awaits the findings of the Advocate for Children and Young People (NSW) special inquiry into children and young people in alternative care arrangements. Read our submission to the inquiry here.
Our submissions
Consultation opportunities
Our submissions
Consultation opportunities
Registrations are now open for YNOT’s Tasmanian Youth Forum 2024 on Housing.
News
A Tasmanian State election took place on Saturday, 23 March. Read the TASCOSS election update and CREATE’s call-to-action to the next Tasmanian Government.
Consultation opportunities
Latest research and reports
CREATE welcomes the release of the Children and Young People Amendment Bill 2 2024 Listening Report which highlights many of the recommendations provided by CREATE in our submission to the ACT Government on the Children and Young People Amendment Bill 2 2024.
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We are pleased to see the ACT Government seriously consider the advice provided directly by young people and their calls to be heard and to participate. We are also delighted to see many of CREATE’s recommendations highlighted in the Listening Report, including incorporating feedback loops for children and young people to strengthen participation processes and ensure engagement is genuine and meaningful, guaranteeing financial assistance to care leavers up to the age of 25 and enshrining sibling connections into legislation. We look forward to engaging further with the ACT Government in their ongoing work to develop the draft amendments to the Children and Young People Act 2008.
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Thank you for reading our Advocacy Wrap Up. To provide feedback, please email marketing@create.org.au
