All governments in Australia have agreed to a new national framework for protecting Australia’s children, which was released on 8 December 2021.

Safe and Supported: the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2021-2031 sets out a national 10-year framework to improve the lives of children, young people and families experiencing disadvantage or who are vulnerable to abuse and neglect.

It aims to ensure that children and young people in Australia have the right to grow up safe and supported, in nurturing and culturally appropriate environments.

The new national framework is designed to make significant and sustained progress in reducing the rate of child abuse and neglect and its intergenerational impacts. Safe and Supported will focus on four priority groups:

• 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 care and young people leaving out-of-home care and transitioning to adulthood.

The national framework will be implemented through two, five year Actions Plans that will include an Indigenous-specific Action Plan.  These will focus on four areas for action:

1. A national approach to early intervention and targeted support for children and families experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage
2. Addressing the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in child protection systems
3. Improving information sharing, data development and analysis
4. Strengthening the child and family sector and workforce capability.

Importantly the new national framework has been developed by State, Territory and the Commonwealth governments in partnership with SNAICC-National Voice for our Children and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Group. The non-government sector also contributed to developing the framework through Families Australia and members of the National Coalition on Child Safety and Wellbeing.

Work to develop the new framework has been co-led by South Australia’s Department for Child Protection together with the Department for Social Services, with DCP Acting Chief Executive Fiona Ward co-chairing the working group to develop the new framework.