Community Visitors regularly visit children and young people living in out-of-home care, including those in kinship care.
COMMISSION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AND CHILD GUARDIAN
The Commission promotes and protects the rights, interests and wellbeing of Queensland’s children and young people. Our mission is to improve their safety and wellbeing - particularly those most vulnerable.
The Commission is an independent statutory authority that oversees the child protection system in Queensland. We:
- advocate for improved prevention and early intervention services to assist at-risk children in our community, and
- work with organisations providing child-related services to create child-safe environments.
We are keen to work with key partners like grandparents in Queensland to achieve:
- effective child safety and juvenile justice systems
- child-safe service environments which protect young people and promote their wellbeing, and
- well-targeted prevention and early intervention strategies for vulnerable children and young people.
COMMUNITY VISITOR PROGRAM
Grandparents who care for their grandchildren may come into contact with the Commission through our Community Visitor Program. Community Visitors visit children and young people living in out-of-home care regularly, including those in kinship care.
COMPLAINTS
Grandparents may also come into contact with the Commission if they have a complaint about a service provided through the child safety system which they can’t resolve with the agency involved.
BLUE CARDS
The Commission also administers the blue card system. Grandparents who work with children and young people on either a voluntary or paid basis, or who provide formal kinship care require a blue card. For more information on applying for a blue card, call the Department of Child Safety on 3239 3521.
HOW DOES THE COMMISSION HELP CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE?
The Commission helps children and young people by:
- advocating for their interests individually or systemically
- reporting regularly to the community and government on their status and wellbeing
- consulting them about decisions which affect them
- listening to and considering their concerns, views and wishes, and
- making sure staff are sensitive to young people’s cultures and values, especially young Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people.
IS THE COMMISSION THERE FOR EVERYONE UNDER 18?
Yes, the Commission helps and supports all Queensland children and young people, but gives priority to those:
- who can’t protect themselves
- who have no-one to act for them
- who live in out-of-home care (including kinship care) or detention centres, or
- who are disadvantaged by disability, living in an isolated area, homelessness, or poverty.
WHAT DOES THE CHILD GUARDIAN DO?
The Child Guardian oversees services for, and decisions about, children in the child safety system. This is done by:
- visiting all children in care and detention to ensure their safety and wellbeing needs are met
- investigating concerns about services
- negotiating to address any issues impacting on young people, and
- collecting information from various sources to report on the effectiveness of the child safety system in providing for children and young people’s needs.
WHAT IS THE WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECK, OR BLUE CARD?
The Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Act 2000 requires organisations who provide certain essential or developmentally-focused services to children – such as child care, sporting and recreational associations and counselling and coaching agencies – to provide these in a way that protects children and promotes their wellbeing.
These organisations are required to implement annual risk management strategies to achieve this, which include appropriate criminal history screening of employees or volunteers through the Working with Children Check, or blue card system.
Therefore, people who work with children under 18 in certain categories of child-related employment must apply for the check if they regularly work with children and young people. The areas screened are listed on the Commission’s website www.ccypcg.qld.gov.au.
From 31 May 2006, foster carers, kinship carers and adult members of a foster or kinship carer’s household have been required to hold a blue card.
People in these categories have until 30 November 2006 to apply for a blue card.
This process is managed by the Department of Child Safety. Questions can be directed to the Department on 3239 3521.
HOW CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMMISSION?
Phone: (07) 3247 5525
or freecall: 1800 688 275
Web: www.ccypcg.qld.gov.au
The information above was provided by the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian.
