Acwa Holds High Budget Hopes For Child Protection Reform

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ACWA Holds High Budget Hopes for Child Protection Reform

The Association of Children's Welfare Agencies (ACWA) is looking forward to seeing the NSW Government further demonstrate its commitment to child protection reform when it hands down its State Budget tomorrow.

ACWA CEO Andrew McCallum hopes the government's budget takes into account the crucial need to expand the capacity of the non-government community sector to provide more early intervention and prevention services to families in need.

In addition, he has called on the government to ensure funding is set aside to support the transfer of out-of-home care services to the non-government sector, a key recommendation of Justice James Wood's Special Commission of Inquiry in Child Protection in NSW which was strongly support by the government in its Keep Them Safe response plan.

"The government's commitment to child protection reform in NSW has already been evidenced through its swift response to a number of Justice Wood's recommendations, including steps to create Child Wellbeing Units in key human services departments and the introduction of Regional Intake and Referral Services (RIRS) in three trial locations in NSW," Mr McCallum said.

"We are confident the government will make provision in tomorrow's budget to roll RIRS out across the entire state within the next 12 to 18 months and further support the initiative with additional resources to meet the increasing demand for early intervention and prevention services."

Mr McCallum is also urging the government to invest more money into strengthening the community's capacity to keep children safe by increasing funding for neighbourhood centres, youth programs and other community development initiatives, through its Community Services Grants Program (CSGP).

"Programs funded through the CSGP have a significant role to play within the context of child protection by providing essential community-based prevention and early intervention services," he said

The Association of Children's Welfare Agencies is the New South Wales peak body representing non-government organisations providing services to vulnerable children, young people and their families. The organisation has been operating for 50 years and has more than 100 member agencies.

MEDIA CONTACTS
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Andrew McCallum
CEO, ACWA
Mob: 0409 221 414
E: [email protected]

Libby McCalman
Communications Officer, ACWA
Mob: 0418 659 525
E: [email protected]

SOURCE: Association of Children's Welfare Agencies