Children rely on us all to keep them safe

By Ray Cleary

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s apology to the forgotten Australians was an important acknowledgement of the sometimes shocking treatment of children removed from their families in years past.

There are many stories that embody the injustice suffered by up to 500,000 children taken from their homes and placed in institutional care.

Stories of families broken apart, of children forced to grow up too soon, of the stripping bare of identity and belonging and of the cold and indifferent treatment towards innocent children still learning how to form relationships and cope with adversity in the world.

We hear loud and clear that children need love, nurturing, consistency, a sense of belonging and positive role models to emulate.

But soon we will hear more stories – many of which may echo the torment suffered by the forgotten Australians.

The Victorian Ombudsman will soon publish his report into the State’s child protection services and we will be confronted with the fact that, as a community, we still allow children to be abused and neglected and we still fail many of them who enter State care.

The report should be a wakeup call to the Victorian Government to act quickly and improve outcomes for children at risk in their own homes.

But while it is vital and urgent that we get the treatment of children in State care right, I believe it is more important that we ask why 5,000 Victorian children will need to be removed this year from their families in the first place.

Families and whole communities are breaking down. Issues such as problem gambling, mental health, alcohol and drug abuse are rapidly increasing in the community.

The Federal Government report, State of Australia's Young People: a report on the social, economic, health and family lives of young people, uncovered children as young as 10 being treated for amphetamine, cannabis and alcohol abuse.

It also revealed that some 12-year-olds are using heroin and one child under 13 was treated for cocaine use last year.

One in four young people in Australia are now living with a mental disorder and one in three experience moderate to high levels of psychological distress. We must ask ourselves why this is occurring.

It seems adults are buckling under the pressure of modern living as well. New statistics from the Department of Justice show a 43 per cent increase in complaints about adult bullying, intimidation and other insulting or offensive behaviour.

Possibly as a result of this dysfunction, there has been a 25 per cent increase in the number of children entering the child protection system in the past three years and we expect to see these number rise at least another 20 per cent by 2013.

Clearly, we need to work more closely with families and identify and treat issues early. To draw a parallel to the health system, we need more GPs to treat minor ailments before they become toxic wounds and require a trip to the emergency room. Especially when that emergency room is packed to overflowing and ill equipped to meet the demand.

To their credit, the Victorian Government has made progress in this area by implementing the ChildFIRST program to offer appropriate services to all families reported to child protection and by passing new legislation that puts the best interest of the child at the heart of all decision making.

Both these initiatives allow welfare agencies like Anglicare Victoria to work closely with families to identify the root of their problems and support them to overcome these issues. But it’s not enough.

The Government has an important role to play in developing policies that tackle the root causes of family breakdown and providing funding for staff but we all have a responsibility to take an interest in issues of child safety, to demand further action and to care other in our community in times of need.

Our children are relying on us all to keep them safe and secure.