Media Releases
The myth of government protection for our most vulnerable children
In The Power and the Responsibility: Child Protection in the Post-Welfare State Era, Dr Jeremy Sammut argues that “reform” plans, such as ‘Keep them Safe’ in NSW and ‘Child FIRST’ in Victoria, fail vulnerable children.
A leaked email shows how Victorian charitable organisations sabotaged the policy review process initiated by the Victorian Ombudsman in 2009 to protect the public funding the sector receives.
‘The email reveals that the Brumby Government caved in to political pressure,’ says Dr Sammut
The government promised the charities there would be no change to the existing failed set up and its funding, despite the major gaps the Ombudsman found.
‘This is the standard, highly-politicised way child protection policy is made, not just in Victoria but in other states including NSW.’
In 2008-09 $2.2 billion dollars was spent on child and family welfare services, yet all too regularly stories of neglect and abuse of children fill our newspapers.
Sammut argues that while there is a place for social services to support the growing underclass of welfare dependent families, the pendulum has swung too far and put family preservation ahead of proper child protection.
‘The evidence the system is deeply flawed is ignored, and self-interest is put ahead of best interests of the children who need saving.’
In Victoria, and increasingly in NSW, family support services are outsourced to Non Government Organisations (NGOs). But the services rolled out for dysfunctional families will not protect the most vulnerable children.
Unfortunately, the charitable sector is mainly concerned with lobbying government to secure funding for their organizations.
What is happening in Victoria and NSW demonstrates the need for fundamental reform, the politics and ideology should be removed by abolishing the bureaucracies, and put citizen-controlled Child Protection Societies back in charge of child protection.
