Safe and Supported: The National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2021 to 2031 sets out an ambitious ten-year plan to help children in Australia to grow up safe and supported in their families, communities and culture.

Working together, Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments have partnered with SNAICC – National Voice for Our Children, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Group and the National Coalition on Child Safety and Wellbeing to create a strategy that aims to make significant and sustained progress in reducing the rate of child abuse and neglect and its intergenerational impacts across Australia.

Safe and Supported is also the key strategy supporting national efforts to make progress under Target 12 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, which aims to reduce the rate of over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by 45% over 10 years.

Priority groups

The Safe and Supported strategy aims to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families by focusing its actions on supporting four priority groups across a number of sectors and life stages. This includes:

  • Children and families with multiple and complex needs
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people experiencing disadvantage or who are vulnerable
  • Children and young people and/or parents/carers with disability experiencing disadvantage or who are vulnerable.
  • Children and young people who have experienced abuse and/or neglect, including children in out-of-home and young people leaving out-of-home care and transitioning to adulthood.

Action plans

On 31 January 2023, two first-stage action plans were released setting out the key activities to be achieved over the next four years to deliver the Safe and Supported strategy. The voices of children and young people have played a central role in developing both action plans.

The Safe and Supported: First National Action Plan 2023 – 2026 focuses on all children and families who are vulnerable, with an emphasis on actions and strategies to support the four priority groups.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander First Action Plan 2023 – 2026 was developed in partnership with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Group. This action plan sets out a transformative agenda to protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children, reduce their over-representation in the child protection system and enable them to thrive. The action plan also takes important steps to place First Nations self-determination at the centre of key community services systems.

More Information

For more information about the Safe and supported strategy, please go to federal Safe and Supported: the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2021-2031 site.