More than 80 cents of every dollar invested in child protection goes to crisis care, delivered by the government. That cannot be the answer to keeping our little ones safe, writes Victorian Shadow Minister for Child Protection Matthew Bach.
My daughter Phoebe is now four and a half and she loves Christmas, and the season. The nativity story, Christmas trees, lights, cooking, Santa, the beach; she loves it all.But whatever it is, we’re all with her having a great time and she likes it.Yet we should spare a thought for other children this Christmas and holiday season, especially the most vulnerable.
Because we’ve heard the same thing so many times, many doubt much can be done to fix child protection in Victoria and, indeed, around the country.The Victorian government should invest in early care and prevention - rather than crisis intervention - to fix the its child protection system, writes the state's Shadow Minister for Child Protection Matthew Bach.
My view then, and now, was that strong families and a big community – not big government – delivered better outcomes.Presently more than 80 cents of every dollar invested in child protection goes to crisis care, delivered by the government.So, let’s radically reform our model so charities and community organisations that Victorians know and trust – such as Berry Street, Anglicare and Uniting – can expand their work to support the most vulnerable.
So, why don’t we fund these groups – like the Aboriginal Child Care Agency, led by the amazing Aunty Muriel Bamblett – to do far more? Yet angels right across Victoria volunteer to take in the babies and children of complete strangers; precious little people who deserve love and support every bit as much as my, or your, children.They are quitting in droves, largely due to the lack of respect they are shown by government. No carer does it for the money; it’s a voluntary role.Victoria’s carer allowance is woefully inadequate, way behind the national average.
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