Skip to main navigation Skip to main content

Support a child in care

Use this procedure to work with children in a care arrangement to ensure their ongoing safety, belonging and wellbeing needs are met and that they are listened to and involved in planning and decision making. The procedure explains how to promote the safe care and connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, in care arrangements, with their family, community and culture.

Use this procedure to support a child in care and ensure their ongoing safety, belonging and wellbeing needs are met.

The principles of the Child Protection Act 1999  emphasise respect for the rights of children, genuine consideration of their views, and their right to participate in planning and decision-making processes affecting their lives.

A child is placed in care when it is assessed that they are unable to remain safely with their family. Child Safety will provide a safe, supportive and therapeutic environment for a child. At the same time, it will work towards either family reunification or an alternative permanency option. A care arrangement may be provided during the investigation and assessment or ongoing intervention phases of child protection intervention.

If a child is placed in care, Child Safety will work with the child, their family, carers, licensed care service staff, staff from another entity and other relevant agencies, to:

  • make active efforts to uphold an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child's right, under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle, to maintain connection with family, community, culture and country
  • support the child through important transitions, such as moving from home to care, changing placements and leaving care
  • ensure the protection and care needs of the child are met, including their developmental needs
  • assist the child to gain the skills and sense of wellbeing that will allow them to realise their potential and positively participate in the wider community.

Child Safety is responsible for monitoring care arrangements:

  • to ensure the care provided is consistent with the statement of standards (Child Protection Act 1999,  section 122)
  • so action can be taken to resolve identified concerns before they escalate into a standards of care review or a harm report.

Child Safety has a legislative obligation to ensure a child subject to ongoing intervention who is placed in a care arrangement under the authority of:

  • a care agreement 
    or
  • a child protection order granting custody or guardianship to the chief executive

has an allocated CSO who, in line with case management requirements:

  • implements effective, ongoing assessment, planning, implementation and collaborative review processes
  • participates in joint planning processes with relevant people and agencies to negotiate responsibility for case work tasks, based on the case plan goal and anticipated outcomes.

Note

Throughout this procedure, the term carer refers to approved carers, licensed care service staff and staff from another entity, unless otherwise specified.

Assessing and responding to self-harm and suicide risk (605)

Case planning (263)

Child related costs – Placement funding (628)

Child related costs – Placement support funding (629)

Children and young people with gender and sexual orientation diversity (648)

Complaints Management

Complex support needs allowance (612)

Critical incident reporting

Decisions about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (641)

Decision making about end-of-life medical treatment for a child in care (420)

Dual payment of carer allowances (289)

Early childhood education and care participation minimum gap payment (640)

Emergent accommodation (631)

Expenses – Fortnightly caring allowance and inter-state foster payments (365)

Foster care matching: a partnership approach (639)

High support needs allowance (296)

Immunisation of children in care (638)

Information sharing for service delivery coordination (403)

Kinship care (632)

Managing access to My Health records of children in care (642)

Obligations, actions and responsibilities upon the death of a child (421)

Participation of children and young people in decision-making (639)

Placement of children in care (578)

Placement of children with Child Safety employees (36)

Positive behaviour support (604)

Records governance

Regional and remote loading for carers (379)

Residential care (606)

Response to children who are sexually abused while in care (627)

Response to children who have experienced significant detriment caused by the actions or inactions of Child Safety (634)

Support for children in the care of long-term and permanent guardians (607)

Supporting children with disability (644).

Systems and practice reviews

Transition to adulthood (349)

 

Version history

Back to top

Published on:

Last reviewed:

  • Date: 
    Locked policy
  • Date: 
    Locked policy
  • Date: 
    Fixing links to policies
  • Date: 
    Update policy name
  • Date: 
    Legislative amendments uploaded
  • Date: 
    Legislative amendments uploaded
  • Date: 
    Legislative amendments uploaded
  • Date: 
    Legislative amendments uploaded
  • Date: 
    Legislative amendments uploaded
  • Date: 
    Legislative amendments uploaded
  • Date: 
    Word and PDF version updated
  • Date: 
    Word and PDF version updated
  • Date: 
    Word and PDF version updated
  • Date: 
    Word and PDF version updated
  • Date: 
    Word and PDF version updated
  • Date: 
    Updated content
  • Date: 
    Updated Word and PDF versions
  • Date: 
    Maintenance
  • Date: 
    Maintenance
  • Date: 
    Updated Word and PDF versions
  • Date: 
    Maintenance
  • Date: 
    Maintenance
  • Date: 
    Updated word and PDF versions
  • Date: 
    Fixed broken links
  • Date: 
    Added new policy - Children and young people with gender and sexual orientation diversity
  • Date: 
    Replace Support a child in care PDF version
  • Date: 
    Removed obsolete policy
  • Date: 
    Removed reference to old policy
  • Date: 
    Word and pdf versions uploaded
  • Date: 
    Word and pdf versions uploaded
  • Date: 
    Fix link
  • Date: 
    Word and Pdf versions updated
  • Date: 
    Maintenance - relink Supporting children with disability
  • Date: 
    Maintenance - include Supporting children with disability
  • Date: 
    pdf and Word download versions updated
  • Date: 
    Maintenance
  • Date: 
    Link updated
  • Date: 
    Link updated
  • Date: 
    Maintenance
  • Date: 
    Maintenance
  • Date: 
    Maintenance
  • Date: 
    Maintenance
  • Date: 
    Update CRC policies
  • Date: 
    Update CRC policies
  • Date: 
    Update policies
  • Date: 
    Update policies
  • Date: 
    Link update
  • Date: 
    Policy linked
  • Date: 
    Replace Word/PDF - Procedure Support a child in care
  • Date: 
    Page update
  • Date: 
    Page created