The Department of Child Safety is responsible for ensuring that all vulnerable children and young people in Queensland are safe and protected from harm.
As grandparents raising our grandchildren, we can intervene to protect them from abuse and violence. In this way, we can ‘break the cycle’, to make sure it won’t happen to their kids.
Grandparent carer
DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY
GRANDPARENTING ARRANGEMENTS
Under what circumstances do children come into the care of their grandparents?
The first priority of the Department of Child Safety is to protect children who are suffering from, or are at risk of, abuse or neglect. An important part of the department’s commitment to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people who need state protection and require an alternative place to live, is the maintenance of a close relationship between a child and their family and community.
Out-of-home care is used as part of the department’s integrated child protection response and may be provided during the investigation and assessment or ongoing statutory intervention phases of child protection, to work towards either reunification of the family or the long-term stable care of the child. Under the Child Protection Act 1999, children and young people within the child protection system may be placed with grandparents through parental consent or under court-directed custody or guardianship orders.
How do informal arrangements differ from formal arrangements?
Informal care is defined as grandparents who care for their grandchildren outside of the child protection system. In these circumstances the Department of Child Safety has no involvement due to an absence of any ongoing statutory intervention or Child Protection Order.
Formal care arrangements are entered into only if:
- the Department of Child Safety is involved with the child or young person as a result of child abuse or neglect concerns
- a Child Protection Order is granted by the Childrens Court
- a formal assessment by the department concludes that the grandparents are suitable people to care for the child.
What is a kinship carer?
The Child Protection Act 1999 has been amended to provide even greater levels of protection for vulnerable children. Further improvements to some of the laws concerning child protection came into effect on 31 May 2006. Among these improvements was a greater emphasis placed on kinship care.
The Act defines ‘kin’ as a relative of significance to the child or a person of significance to the child.
The Department of Child Safety is responsible for ensuring that all vulnerable children and young people in Queensland are safe and protected from harm.
A kinship carer can be a relative, a neighbour or a family friend who is approved by the Department of Child Safety to care for the child.
DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY
What does the Department of Child Safety do?
The Department of Child Safety is responsible for ensuring that all vulnerable children and young people in Queensland are safe and protected from harm. The department administers the Child Protection Act 1999 and the Adoption of Children Act 1964.
To meet the needs of individual children, the department offers a range of services. These include special support for families in crisis and different types of alternative care services that offer a safe environment for children who cannot live at home. The department also offers sexual abuse counselling and helps reunite families when it is safe to do so.
The department gives special attention to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and is committed to ensuring that Indigenous children are cared for in a way that respects their culture. Wherever possible, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are placed with extended family, community or Indigenous carers.
The Department of Child Safety is the lead agency facilitating the whole-of-government response to child protection issues. A diverse range of government and non-government agencies contribute both individually and collectively to the child protection system.
EFFECTS OF TRAUMA, ABUSE AND NEGLECT
My grandchild has experienced trauma, abuse and neglect. How do I minimise the long-term effects of this?
Child abuse and neglect can result in varying levels of physiological or psychological impact for children and their families. Out-of-home placements with kinship carers and maintaining ongoing relationships with family and community are important for providing reassurance and familiarity for children and young people during this difficult time.
During intervention and out-of-home care placement, the child or young person’s support needs and any responses to these needs are recorded in their case plan. Case plans are reviewed at least every six months. Options for addressing any identified support needs for children and young people include advice and support from trained departmental staff, for example Child Safety Officers and Child Safety Support Officers.
For children in out-of-home care where the case plan does not stipulate reunification, the department must visit the child at least once a month. If the child is on a long-term Child Protection Order granting guardianship to the chief executive, the department must visit the child every two months. The frequency of visits can be increased depending on the support needs of the child or carers. This relationship between child safety staff and carers serves as an invaluable support for assisting with the day-to-day tasks of caring for children and in exploring any underlying concerns for the child.
If the identified needs of the child or young person are significant and require more specialist intervention, the department can make a referral to an appropriate service provider. It is important to note that the Department of Child Safety is committed to ensuring appropriate levels of support are made available to children and young people in care.
In addition to this support, all children and young people in out-of-home care receive regular visits from Community Visitors as part of the Commission for Children, Young People and Child Guardian’s Community Visitor Program. This program serves to monitor services provided by the department and advocate on behalf of all children and young people.
PARENTAL IMPRISONMENT
How do I talk about parental imprisonment with my grandchild?
Grandparent carers should adopt a consistent and sensitive approach when talking with their grandchildren about the imprisonment of a parent. Factors such as the child’s age, their ongoing contact with their parents and the child’s previous knowledge of their parents need to be considered.
The When the children arrive booklet by the Mirabel Foundation is a valuable resource for kinship carers. The booklet’s primary focus is on issues of illicit drug abuse and has reference to supporting children with issues of parental imprisonment.
During formal care arrangements the department’s case planning process serves to ensure that appropriate responses to the child or young person’s needs are developed and assessed.
CONTACT INFORMATION
How do I contact the Department of Child Safety?
Grandparent carers can contact their local Child Safety Service Centre, visit www.childsafety.qld.gov.au or contact 3224 8045 or toll free 1800 811810.
