What can place your child at risk of being taken?

As a parent or caregiver, you have a responsibility to ensure your child is safe and cared for. If a child is not safe and cared for there are laws that allow child protection agencies to investigate.

If the Department of Child Protection receives a “notification” or report regarding the safety of your children, they have to investigate and make sure your children are OK.

A notification can be about your children experiencing or being at risk of abuse and neglect: this could be about things you have done, or not done, or things that someone else has done.

What can you do?

• Contact a lawyer as soon as possible. Ensure the lawyer is informed about ATSICPP, Active

Efforts and efforts you have made to address DCP concerns.

• Contact DCP, find out what’s happening, what they have done already, what ACCO (Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander Community Controlled

Organisation) are they engaging with, what is the next step, give

DCP a time frame to respond.

• Let DCP know you will have a support person present and interpreter if needed. • Ask DCP what they are concerned about and in writing what you can do to address the concerns.

• The ACCO is your representative and integral to each Element of

ATSICPP.

• Record every interaction you have with DCP, questions they were unable to answer, including who you spoke to, their role, what they said, date and time.

Even though your child may be well cared for, if you have a substance misuse problem or if your child witnesses family violence, you will place your child at risk of abuse and neglect.