NEWCASTLE Family and Children's Services leaders are calling on the NSW Minister for Families and Communities for more investment into early intervention.
The need is urgent, they say, particularly for Aboriginal families who are almost 12 times more likely to experience child removal.
Child protection advocates are rallying following a roundtable meeting with Minister Kate Washington in Newcastle, and two reports, each damning of the system.
The NSW Ombudsman's report into the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) complaint system looked specifically at its Aboriginal child protection functions.
It found a complex, decentralised complaint system that lacks integration, coordination and consistency.
The department's 'Enquiry, Feedback and Complaints Unit' (EFCU) is poorly resourced, and there is limited awareness of its existence or role, even among DCJ staff, the report says.
And the system is "not sufficiently culturally attuned" to the needs of Aboriginal complainants, or adequately accessible to them.
Fear and experience of retribution or detrimental action following a complaint was a significant issue that must be addressed, it says.
Aboriginal organisations across NSW have called for "urgent and meaningful reform" following the release of that report, and five years on from the release of the 'Family is Culture' Review.
The review, an Aboriginal-led and government-commissioned report, was intended as a turning point, said John Leha, CEO of AbSec, NSW Child, Family and Community Peak Aboriginal Corporation.
It was an opportunity to reshape the child protection system in a way that genuinely supports and honours Aboriginal families, a joint release from AbSec, the Aboriginal Legal Services and others said.
However, five years later, the reality is stark: of the 126 recommendations made, only 12 have been fully implemented, the statement said.
Aunty Debra Swan, founding member of Grandmothers Against Removals and former child protection caseworker, said self-determination was a crucial part of the solution.
"When I worked at the DCJ, there were too many families whose experience was different from what the Department was saying," she said.
"It wasn't bad luck, and it wasn't a bad caseworker on a bad day. Far too often, across too many offices, our families were not being supported, and our kids were being taken.
"What I saw in my time at DCJ was that our families were not being heard and the Department was still pushing an agenda of assimilation.
"It's not enough for the child protection system to claim they have good policies; families need to see those policies implemented effectively. Too often, families are left in the dark, unaware of their rights or the processes that affect them.
"The only way to move forward is through self-determination. It's crucial that we include families in decision-making and assert our sovereignty over the care of our children."
Family Support Newcastle Inc. from the Hunter played a key role in a roundtable Ms Washington to discuss ongoing challenges in the sector.
The roundtable was convened by Fams, the peak body for NSW not-for-profit family and children's services in NSW.
Fams CEO Susan Watson said it was a great chance to discuss critical topics.
"We had a very constructive morning with the Minister, and I thank her for taking the time to hear directly from service providers the reality of providing support to children, young people and families," she said.
Ms Watson said the sector empathised with the Minister over the enormity of the task facing her.
"But if the government do not commit to investing in supporting families early, we will continue to see children removed from families, and the heartache and trauma that impacts a family for generations. The right support, early, has the power to stop this".
Early intervention services have not received an increase in funding for more than 10 years, and services were exhausted and stretched to their limit.
"Right now we are seeing high levels of burnout, with staff leaving the sector in droves which is leading to skills and knowledge shortages across NSW," Ms Watson said.
"We are in need of urgent investment just to keep the sector afloat."
Ms Washington said the critical work needed to reform the broken child protection system that the government inherited had begun.
"Every decision the NSW Government is making is driven by the desperate need to improve outcomes for vulnerable children across the state," Ms Washington said.
"A critical element of our reform includes ensuring more families get access to the programs they need to stay safely together.
"Early intervention services are essential in equipping parents with the skills they need to help their children thrive."
In the last two years, the Minns Labor Government has increased funding to the Targeted Earlier Intervention (TEI) program by $20 million, or roughly 10 per cent.
The TEI program is due to be recommissioned next year and represents further opportunity to improve access and outcomes for children and their families.
In response to the Review of the DCJ Complaint System in respect of its Aboriginal Child Protection functions, DCJ acknowledged it was not effectively meeting the needs of Aboriginal complainants in the child protection system.
"DCJ acknowledges that there is much work to be done to develop a complaint system that is safe and accessible to Aboriginal people. We know that reform of our complaint system must be done in partnership with Aboriginal people," the DCJ statement said.
"A formal response detailing how we will address the recommendations is being prepared and will be published within six months, in line with the Ombudsman's recommendation.
