30 March 2015 | General Interest
A series of nationwide roundtable discussions have commenced as a starting point for developing the Third Action Plan under the National Framework for the Protection of Australia’s Children 2009–20 (the National Framework).
An initiative from the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), the National Framework is a long-term, national approach to help protect all Australian children, which is being implemented through a series of three-year action plans.
To launch the Third Action Plan (2015–18) the National Forum for Protecting Australia’s Children has implemented a number of national roundtables with combined meetings for NGO, research, and government representatives. These discussions will reflect upon achievements to date under the National Framework and to explore ideas for the development of the Third Action Plan (2015–18).
The schedule of roundtables is as follows:
- 23 March: Darwin
- 24 March: Alice Springs
- 26–27 March: Adelaide
- 31 March: Perth
- 8 April: Brisbane
- 9 April: Townsville
- 13 April: Lismore
- 14 April: Sydney
- 15 April: Hobart
- 16 April: Melbourne
- 20 April: Canberra
Forming the basis of these discussions is the National Framework Third Action Plan discussion paper. Developed by the Department of Social Services, the paper – entitled Driving change: engaging the community – is available for download via the Families Australia website.
Included in the discussion paper is an invitation for written submissions about the Third Action Plan. Submissions are due by Friday 24 April, and should be sent to the Department of Social Services at ThirdActionPlan@dss.gov.au.
To aid preparation for either submissions or the roundtable discussions, a briefing paper has been produced by Families Australia and the NGO Coalition Steering Group.
To assist with consultations and discussions SNAICC has developed a paper entitled Pathways to safety and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
This paper describes priority pathways and actions to support improved safety and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, based on the knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and sector leaders, and the evidence from practice and research. It presents ways forward for implementation action under the National Framework.
The National Framework is one of SNAICC’s key focus areas. If you’d like to learn more, further information – including resources and policy papers – is available in the Child Protection policy hub.
