Version date: December 2013

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Published by Victorian Government,
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ISBN: 978-0-7311-6646-6 (online Word version)
Authorised by the Victorian Government, Melbourne

The State of Victoria’s Children Report 2012: Early Childhood found that by and large, Victorian children and families are doing well, with good quality services available. However, there are a minority who are vulnerable and the Victorian Government and the community sector are working closer than ever to improve their lives and address the challenges they face.
In May 2013, the Victorian Government released Victoria’s Vulnerable
Children – Our Shared Responsibility Strategy 2013 –2022 . This strategy will drive change over the next decade to deliver on the government’s objective that vulnerable children are kept safe from harm and have every opportunity to succeed in life.
T he government’s goals are to prevent child abuse and neglect from occurring; to act earlier when children and young people are vulnerable; and to improve outcomes for children in statutory care.
The strategy commits us to a performance framework, through which the long-term, whole-ofgovernment effort to improve the lives of Victoria’s vulnerable children and young people will be measured. It sets out 15 performance indicators and a range of areas where further work will be undertaken to define new measures.
We want to measure our progress in achieving these goals and in doing so, identify where we are doing well and where we need to refine our approach. Therefore this baseline performance data report brings data together from a raft of sources to present a comprehensive snapshot of the extent to which children are engaging in universal services such as maternal and child health and education; the extent to which our services are responding to child vulnerabilities; and the outcomes achieved for children and young people in care.
The data in this report tells us there is a small portion of people in our community that are vulnerable and face significant challenges, affecting their life outcomes and future achievements.
The report highlights where government, service providers and the community need to work better together to reduce the overall level of vulnerability and respond more effectively to vulnerable children, young people and their families.
This report is a significant step forward in understanding the challenges faced by vulnerable children and young people and sets the baseline from which annual performance reports will measure our progress in reducing vulnerability and improving the lives of the most vulnerable
Victorians. The Victorian Government is committed to continuing to inform the community on how vulnerable children and young people are faring. More importantly, we are committed to using an evidence-based approach to shape policy and service responses for vulnerable children and their families, and in so developing a robust evaluation approach that is focused on achieving positive life outcomes.
Hon. Mary Wooldridge MP
Minister for Mental Health
Minister for Community Services
Minister for Disability Services and Reform

Establishing a baseline prior to implementation of the strategy
Developing additional indicators
Report structure
Victoria’s vulnerable children and families
Outcome 1.1 – Families, including vulnerable families, are well supported within their communities
Outcome 1.2 - Parental risk factors that contribute to abuse and neglect are identified and addressed
Outcome 1.3 - Families effectively protect and nurture their children
Outcome 2.1 - Families under pressure get the support they need
Outcome 2.2 - Vulnerable children receive timely and optimal support to meet their developmental and wellbeing needs
Outcome 2.3 - Where there are reports of abuse or neglect, families receive an early and effective response
Outcome 3.1 - Our legal and statutory systems are child friendly
Outcome 3.3 – Children in out-of-home care experience good health, education and wellbeing
Outcome 3.4 - Children and young people leaving out-of-home care and returning to their families or becoming independent, sustain improve outcomes
48
55
59
36
40
42
15
24
31
9
9
10
11

V ictoria’s Vulnerable Children – Our Shared Responsibility
Baseline Performance Data Report
1.1a – Participation in Maternal and Child Health Services
1.1 – Families, including vulnerable families, are well supported within their communities 1.1b – Participation in education
(early childhood and school)
Home consultations – maternal and child health (all infants)
3.5 year key age and stage visit – maternal and child health (all infants)
Participation in three-year-old Early Start Kindergarten by Aboriginal children
2011 –2012
2011 –2012
2012
Participation in four-year-old kindergarten (all children) 2012
Absent days from school 2012
2011 –2012
100.3%
64.4%
352 children or
39.2% (of estimated population of
Aboriginal young children) 1
97.9%
Year 5 – 14.4 days
Year 7 – 15.4 days
Year 9 – 21.0 days
36.3% 1.2 – Parental risk factors that contribute to abuse and neglect are identified and addressed
1.2a – Reporting and prevalence of family violence
Percentage of family violence incidents where children and young people aged 0 –17 years are present
Parents reporting risky drinking at long-term harm
1.2b – Rates of parental risky drinking
Parents reporting risky drinking at short-term harm
2009
2010
3.7%
13.1%
1.3 – Families effectively protect and nurture their children.
1.3a – Child protection substantiation rates per population
1.3b – Rates of children in outof-home care per population
Child protection substantiations per 1,000 children
Children in out-of-home care per 1,000 children
2011 –2012
2012
7.1
5.1
1 Number and percentage is shown, as the percentage may fluctuate in future reports due to the participation rate being based on ABS experimental projections of the Aboriginal population including young children from 2006 to 2021. The Aboriginal population data used in any denominator will be updated when new data is available and these revised population numbers will be applied historically, where possible. Therefore, the percentages stated here may change in future reports.
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2.1 – Families under pressure get the support they need
2.2 – Vulnerable children receive timely and optimal support to meet their developmental and wellbeing needs
2.3 – Where there are reports of abuse or neglect, families receive an early and effective response
2.1a – Families in receipt of targeted assistance associated with early years services
2.2a – Child FIRST assessments and interventions
2.3a – Response time to complete investigation
2.3b – Re-substantiation rates
3.2 – Children in out-of-home care receive quality care that is culturally appropriate
3.2a – Placement stability for children in a single out-of-home care episode
3.2b – Aboriginal children placed in accordance with the
Aboriginal Child Placement
Principle
Percentage of clients receiving Enhanced Maternal and Child Health services
2011 –2012
Number of children enrolled in Early Start Kindergarten 2012
16.9%
571
Number of Child FIRST assessments and interventions 2011 –2012
Percentage completed in 28 days or less
Percentage completed in more than 90 days
Subject of a re-substantiation within three months
Subject of a re-substantiation within twelve months
Children on a care or protection order with 1 or 2 placements exiting care after less than 12 months
Children on a care or protection order with 1 or 2 placements exiting care after 12 months or more
Percentage of Aboriginal children placed in accordance with Principle
2011 –2012
2011 –2012
2011 –2012
2011 –2012
2011 –2012
2011 –2012
2012
9,709
30.3%
27.1%
1.2%
10.1%
88.4%
53.9%
56.3%
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3.1 – Our legal and statutory systems are child friendly
3.1a – Clearance rates in the
Children’s Court of Victoria
Clearance rate (Family Division)
2011-2012 82.5%
3.3 – Children in out-of-home care experience good health, education and wellbeing
3.3a – Children in out-of-home care meeting literacy and numeracy benchmarks
3.4 – Children and young people leaving out-of-home care, and returning to their families or becoming independent, sustain improved outcomes
3.4a – Young people in out-ofhome care completing year 10 and/or year 12 or equivalent
Vocational Education and
Training
Proportion of children in out-of-home care achieving at or above the national minimum standard for reading,
Victoria
Proportion of children in out-of-home care achieving at or above the national minimum standard for numeracy,
Victoria
2012
2012
Measure to be defined
Year 3 – 90%
Year 5 – 78%
Year 7 – 92%
Year 9 – 77%
Year 3 – 95%
Year 5 – 82%
Year 7 – 89%
Year 9 – 82%
Not determined
Not determined
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The Victorian Government is committed to protecting, assisting and improving outcomes for its most vulnerable children and young people, and is focused on addressing the challenges raised by child abuse and neglect.
This is the first performance report against the performance indicators outlined in the Victoria’s
Vulnerable Children
–
Our Shared Responsibility Strategy 2013 –2022 . It provides a baseline against which performance in delivering on the aspiration and goals of the strategy will be measured.
The Victoria’s Vulnerable Children – Our Shared Responsibility Strategy 2013 –2022 was released by the Victorian Government in May 2013, outlining three key strategic goals:

Prevent abuse and neglect.

Act earlier when children are vulnerable.

Improve outcomes for children in statutory care.
The strategy takes a decade-long horizon view. It puts in place the aspiration and system framework that will drive sustained change. The strategy explicitly sets out what changes are sought for Victorian families and children, and how progress towards these outcomes can be measured, through use of a set of 15 initial indicators. These indicators, shown in the performance framework above, will allow progress to be monitored at statewide, regional and local levels, and for some specific population groups, such as Aboriginal families and children.
Monitoring and reporting of performance over time is key to effective reform. In addition, the performance framework will assist in information sharing across agencies and across sectors. It is a tool not just for holding the service system accountable, but to also provide insights that can shape services and improve outcomes at a local and regional level. To enable this we will use the framework shown above.
This baseline data report brings together data from a range of sources to report on how vulnerable children and their families are faring, and how they are supported by services. The evidence base is designed to support decision-making, to improv e the lives of Victoria’s vulnerable children.
As a baseline report, most data is available up to 2012, and three to four years of data is generally provided for context.
The strategy commits to the development of additional performance indicators against some outcomes. Further conceptual work is required to ensure that robust indicators are developed to measure performance against the stated outcomes. The process for developing additional indicators involves consultation across government and the community sector. This development will continue over the coming months.
The Victoria’s Vulnerable Children – Our Shared Responsibility Strategy 2013–2022 provides for regular reporting across the existing and new performance indicators. The first progress report
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V ictoria’s Vulnerable Children – Our Shared Responsibility
Baseline Performance Data Report will be prepared during 2014 –15 and will measure progress in performance against the baseline data in this report.
The report is structured according to the performance framework outlined in the Victoria’s
Vulnerable Children – Our Shared Responsibility Strategy 2013–2022, which consists of goals, outcomes and performance indicators. Each performance indicator is described, and the baseline data for that indicator is presented (the baseline being the data for 2012, or the most recent data available before 2012). Trend data is also provided for the previous three years to tell the story so far. Where available, Aboriginal client-specific data breakdowns are provided and where relevant, data by school year level or age is presented. A summary of Victorian Government programs and initiatives is provided after each indicator.
Some performance indicators have more than one measure; where this occurs, the measures are numbered in Roman numerals. A number of additional indicators are yet to be developed and have been identified against a number of outcome areas. Where available, some contextual data around the subject area for the outcome is included, until the additional performance indicators are developed and baseline measures available.

Budget Paper 3, 2013 –14 (Victorian Government).
 Children’s Court annual reports: 2009–10, 2010–11 and 2011–12.

Child Protection Australia 2011 –12 , (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare).

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) administrative collections including Student Absence Data Collection 2012, CASES21 government school enrolment system, Annual Confirmed Kindergarten Data Collection, Maternal and Child
Health Annual Report, 2011-12, exit data, Early Start Kindergarten data and NAPLAN results for Children in out-of-home care.

Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP) data (2008 –09, 2011–12, 2012–13), Victoria
Police.

Report on Government Services 2013 (Productivity Commission).

Victorian Government Aboriginal Affairs Report 2012.

Victorian Population Health Surveys: 2008, 2009, 2010 (Department of Health).
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A definition of ‘vulnerability’ was adopted by the Victorian Government, and set out in the
Victoria’s Vulnerable Children – Our Shared Responsibility Strategy 2013–2022 as:
‘Children and young people are vulnerable if the capacity of parents and family to effectively care, protect and provide for their long-term development and wellbeing is limited ’.
The Report of the Protecting Victoria ’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry (2011) clearly establishes that the risk factors arising from parent, family and/or caregiver relationships include a h istory of family violence; alcohol and other substance misuse; mental health problems; parental history of abuse and neglect; and situational stress. These risk factors are elaborated below.
History of family violence
There has been a recent shift in academic literature, which considers the witnessing of family violence in itself as amounting to child abuse.
2 In addition, family violence can have the effect of making a child fearful and compliant, with the effect of inhibiting disclosure and preventing reporting. A history of family violence may indicate a risk of further violence.
Family violence also has a significant and detrimental effect on parenting capacity. Not only can it cause physical injury and ill health, it can lead to mental health problems, substance misuse, homelessness and housing instability for those who are fleeing violence.
3
Indicator 1.2a (page 24) provides more information on reporting of family violence and associated data.
Alcohol and other substance misuse
The effects of substance misuse on parenting are well documented – there is a high risk of neglect for children whose parents misuse substances.
4 For example, children may not have basic needs met such as regular meals, a clean and safe environment and an emotionally nurturing home 5 and can also be at risk of physical and emotional abuse if a parent is experiencing intoxication or withdrawal.
6 Parents reporting risky drinking is presented at Indicator
1.2b (page 27).
2 Bedi, G, Goddard, C 2007, ‘Intimate partner violence: What are the impacts on children?’, Australian Psychologist,
Vol.42 , no.1, pp. 66
–7.
3 Bromfield, L, Lamont, A, Parker, R and Horsfall, B 2010, ‘Issues for the safety and wellbeing of children in families with multiple and complex problems: The co-occurrence of domestic violence, parental substance misuse and mental health problems’, NCPC issues , No. 33.
4 Dawe, S, Harnett, P and Frye, S 2008, ‘Improving outcomes for children living in families with parental substance’, Child
Abuse Prevention Issues, No. 29.
5
Dawe
, S, Harnett, P and Frye, S 2008, ‘Improving outcomes for children living in families with parental substance’,
Child
Abuse Prevention Issues, No. 29.
6 Dawe, S, Harnett, P and Frye, S 2008, ‘Improving outcomes for children living in families with parental substance’, Child
Abuse Prevention Issues, No. 29.
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Mental health problems
The symptoms of mental health problems can impact up on a parent’s perception, cognition and ability to communicate. Mental illness can manifest in a parent being withdrawn, inconsistent, less active with children and emotionally distant or unavailable.
7 For a child this can result in psychological stress and insecure attachment.
8
Indicators around parental mental health are yet to be developed. The process for developing these indicators, and related data, are presented on page 30.
Parental history of abuse and neglect
A parent’s history affects their ability to tend to the needs of their child. Parents who have lacked effective parental role models are at significant disadvantage when it comes to parenting their own children.
9
Indicator 1.2a (page 24) provides more information on family violence and associated data.
Situational stress
A family’s financial circumstances are known to have a major influence on a child’s life chances and outcomes. Socio-economic indicators of stress such as low income, housing stress and unemployment may contribute to vulnerability.
Additional indicators are to be developed relating to Outcome 2.1 for ‘families under pressure’
(see page 36).
Data suggests that some groups of children and young people are more likely, because of the prevalence of the abov e risk factors, to fall within our definition of ‘vulnerability’.
The children and young people of families that have recently arrived in Australia, particularly those who have experienced hardship and significant or multiple stressors, are at increased risk of vulnerability. These factors can be compounded by the challenges of parenting in a new culture.
Having a child with a disability can also have a significant impact on the family’s caring responsibilities, often placing strain on family relationships and affecting employment and finances. The 2011 Census of Population and Housing indicate that there were 25,000 children aged 0 to 17 years that had ‘need for assistance with core activities’ 10 , equivalent to 2.1 per cent of the population.
Financial hardship or economic insecurity affects the ability of parents to provide for their children.
The Census 11 indicated that 1.8 per cent of all families were low income families with children
(family income of less than $400 per week).
7 Hegarty, M.2005, ‘Supporting children affected by parental dual diagnosis - Mental illness and substance use - a collaborative mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention initiative’, Ausienetter , No. 25, Vol.3.
8
Seifer, R and Dickstein, S 1993,
‘Parental mental illness and infant development’. In C. Zeanah (Ed.),
Handbook of infant mental health , Guilford, New York, pp. 120
–
142.
9 Goldman, J, Salus, M., Wolcott, D and Kennedy, K 2003, ‘What factors contribute to child abuse and neglect? A coordinated response to child abuse and neglect’, The foundation for practice , Office on Child Abuse and Neglect,
Washington D.C.
10
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011, Census of Population and Housing, < http://www.abs.gov.au/census >. The Census of Population and Housing defines profound or severe disability population as: 'those people needing help or assistance in one or more of the three core activity areas of self-care, mobility and communication, because of a long-term health condition (lasting six months or more), a disability (lasting six months or more), or old age'.
11 Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011, Census of Population and Housing, < http://www.abs.gov.au/census >.
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In this baseline data report, breakdowns are not provided for recent immigrants, children with disability, or low income due to lack of available data. However, these will be investigated for future reporting.
Aboriginal children and young people are significantly overrepresented in Victoria’s child protection and out-of-home care services compared to the broader population.
12 At the same time, Aboriginal children under-participate in the universal services which promote healthy development, learning and wellbeing.
13 There are approximately 20,000 Aboriginal children in
Victoria, representing around 1.6 per cent of all children 14 , however Aboriginal children represent much higher proportions within the population of children in child protection and out-of-home-care services. Proportionally more Aboriginal families appear at risk. Many Aboriginal people have been affected directly and indirectly by past policies leading to the ‘Stolen Generations’.
15
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey 2008 showed that 11.5 per cent of Victorian Aboriginal people who responded to the survey and were living in households with children, had been removed from their natural family and 47.1 per cent had a relative who had been removed.
16 That and more recent experience with the child protection system highlights the high risk of vulnerability. Aboriginal families are more likely to be led by sole parents, to be overrepresented in low income households 17 and to have experienced family violence.
18
A number of indicators in this baseline report provide an Aboriginal client-specific data breakdown where this data is available.
The Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework 19 provides a framework to improve outcomes for
Aboriginal Victorians, including efforts to improve access to services and reduce the life stressors outlined above. In particular, implementation of the Victorian Aboriginal Inclusion Framework 20 across all departments to make services culturally inclusive and to improve access to and inclusion in mainstream services will be important.
The Victorian Government will continue to draw on the most recent research and work in close collaboration with these communities and service providers to inform appropriate responses to the needs of children and young people from these higher risk groups.
12 Victorian Government 2013, Victoria’s Vulnerable Children – Our Shared Responsibility Strategy 2013-2022 , State
Government of Victoria, Melbourne.
13
Victorian Government 2013,
Victoria’s Vulnerable Children – Our Shared Responsibility Strategy 2013-2022
, State
Government of Victoria, Melbourne.
14 Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011, Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, Commonwealth
Government , Canberra, viewed August 2013, < http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3238.0.55.001
>.
15
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey 2008, viewed August
2013, < http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4714.0/ >.
16 Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey 2008, viewed August
2013,< http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4714.0/ >.
17 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2012, A Picture of Australia’s Children 2012, Commonwealth Government,
Canberra < https://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=10737423340 >.
18
Australian Institute of Family Studies, Child Family Community Australia 2013
– Child protection statistics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, Commonwealth Government, Canberra, viewed September 2013,
< http://www.aifs.gov.au/cfca/pubs/factsheets/a142117/ >.
19 Department of Planning and Community Development 2012, Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Framework 2013-2018 :
Building for the future: a plan for ‘Closing the Gap’ in Victoria by 2031
, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne,
< http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/index.php/aboriginal-affairs/aboriginal-affairs-policy/victorian-aboriginal-affairs-framework > .
20 Department of Planning and Community Development 2011, Victorian Government Aboriginal Inclusion Framework ,
State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, < http://www.dpc.vic.gov.au/index.php/aboriginal-affairs/aboriginal-affairspolicy/aboriginal-inclusion >.
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While this report focuses on Victoria’s vulnerable children, young people and families, it is necessary to understand the context of vulnerability, and that the majority of families, around 70 –
80 per cent, do not experience the above risk factors. There are more than 647,000 families with dependent children in Victoria between the ages of zero to 17.
21
Figure 1 – Understanding the nature of vulnerability
Goal 1:
I mprove outcomes for children in statutory care
Goal 2:
Act earlier when children are vulnerable
Goal 3:
Prevent abuse and neglect
647,000 Victorian families with children
The figure above illustrates the proportion of families that have known risk factors for child vulnerability, and that may be experiencing significant stresses in their lives. Children and young people in these families might become vulnerable, particularly if family circumstances or parental behaviour worsens. Child maltreatment or neglect is more likely to emerge amongst these families than the broader population. The aim for these families is to prevent abuse and neglect
(Goal 1). Related outcomes and indicators are presented on pages 15 to 35 of this report.
For those families known to be vulnerable, the aim is to act earlier (Goal 2). Related outcomes and indicators are presented on pages 36 to 47 of this report.
For around 1.5 per cent of families, who are investigated to assess whether children are at risk of harm, and for an even smaller proportion, where children need protective intervention, the strategy aims to improve outcomes for children in statutory care (Goal 3). Related outcomes and indicators are presented on pages 48 to 61 of this report.
21 Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011, Family Characteristics, Australia, 2009 –10 – Summary of Findings , viewed
September 2013, Commonwealth Government, Canberra,
< http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/4442.02009-10 >.
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A strong focus on prevention is the starting point to reducing the lifetime implications of abuse and neglect.
This goal is focused on prevention, so the strategies adopted are often population-wide strategies.
Effective universal services, particularly those for families with young children, are essential for preventing vulnerability – hence optimising participation by all Victorians in universal services is critical to prevention strategies.
The universal Maternal and Child Health Service provides ten ‘key ages and stages’ consultations from birth to 3.5 years, including an initial home visit for all children and their families. Maternal and Child Health nurses assess and monitor the health, growth and development of children, and provide information and advice on breastfeeding, appropriate nutrition, child behaviour, parenting, and maternal physical and emotional health and wellbeing. Maternal and Child Health Services also run new-parent groups to help parents through the early stages of parenting and to strengthen social supports between parents in a neighbourhood.
The Maternal and Child Health Service is a key platform for the early identification of developmental problems, and a key source of support and advice to parents in managing stresses and difficulties during infancy and early childhood. There is indirect evidence that children in vulnerable families are more likely, on average, to have disabilities or developmental delays, and that vulnerable families are more likely to lose touch with Maternal and Child Health
Services after birth. The Maternal Child Health Service provides a key referral point to more specialised and targeted services, and in particular to the Enhanced Maternal and Child Health
Service, which provides more home visits to higherneed mothers during the first year of a child’s life.
Maternal and Child Health home consultations in 2011 –12
All infants
Baseline
100.3% 22
Maternal and Child Health 3.5 year key age and stage visit in 2011 –12 Baseline
All infants 64.4%
Source: Maternal and Child Health Annual Report, 2011
–12, Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development.
22 Participation Rates will exceed 100 per cent when the number of children attending the Centre throughout the year is greater than the number of children registered at the Centre on 30 June.
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The baseline
In 2011 –12, 100 per cent of Victorian newborns received an initial Maternal and Child Health consultation, usually a home visit. This means that Victoria has an exceptional platform for monitoring all children from birth and identifying vulnerable children and families. However, participation in the service is voluntary, and there is a progressive decline in participation as children grow older. The potential of Maternal and Child Health Services to help address the needs of children and families who would benefit from referral to an early intervention service is not being fully realised. By the last consultation at 3.5 years, only 64 per cent of families are still using the service, and for Aboriginal infants, just over half attend their 3.5 year age and stage visit.
The story so far
Home consultations for infants have increased over the last three years, for all children and for
Aboriginal children (see Table 1).
There has been a slight increase in attendance at 3.5 year age and stage visits for all children, and a more marked increase for Aboriginal children (see Table 2).
Participation rates remain considerably lower for Aboriginal children compared to the general population, at the later stages (Figure 2). However, the gap in Aboriginal participation at 3.5 years is closing — the 19.3 per cent gap in 2009–10 reduced to 12.8 per cent in 2011–12.
Table 1: Children receiving Maternal and Child Health home consultations, Victoria 23 ,
2009 –10 to 2011–12 i.
Infants receiving a maternal and child health service home consultation ii.
Aboriginal infants receiving a maternal and child health service home consultation
2009 –10
99.8%
94.3%
2010 –11
100.1%
99.6%
2011 –12
100.3%
100.8%
Source: Maternal and Child Health Annual Report, various years, Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development
< http://www.education.vic.gov.au/childhood/providers/support/pages/mchannualreportarchive.aspx
>.
Table 2: Children receiving Maternal and Child Health consultations at 3.5 year key ages and stages, Victoria, 2009 –10 to 2011–12 iii.
Children attending the 3.5 year key ages and stages visit iv.
Aboriginal children attending the 3.5 year key ages and stages visit
2009 –10
63.1%
43.8%
2010 –11
62.8%
45.3%
2011 –12
64.4%
51.6%
Source: Maternal and Child Health Annual Report, various years, Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development
< http://www.education.vic.gov.au/childhood/providers/support/pages/mchannualreportarchive.aspx
>.
23 Participation Rates will exceed 100 per cent when the number of children attending the Centre throughout the year is greater than the number of children registered at the Centre on 30 June.
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Figure 2: Participation rates for the 3.5 year key ages and stages, Victoria, 2009 –10 to
2011 –12
Source: Maternal and Child Health Annual Report, various years, Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development.
Victorian Government programs to improve engagement with Maternal and Child Health
Services
The 2012 Maternal and Child Health Memorandum of Understanding between the Victorian
Government and the Municipal Association of Victoria places priority on the inclusion of vulnerable children, including the identification of service enhancements for vulnerable families.
More specifically, it provides for the establishment of a ‘service commitment principle’ for children known to child protection or Child FIRST as a priority cohort for sustained engagement in all
Maternal and Child Health Service key age and stage visits.
Maternal and Child Health Service reform
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) is currently working with local government to develop reform options that will build upon Victoria’s unique Maternal and Child Health Service to make it more flexible and responsive to the needs of all families, particularly those who are vulnerable. right@home nurse home visiting trial
Since 2013, The Victorian Government has provided funding to enable four sites in Victoria to form part of a national trial of a nurse home visiting service for vulnerable new mothers. The trial, which will involve 1,200 families across the first two years of a baby’s life, will be focused on developing a strong and positive relationship between the mother and the nurse. It will provide invaluable local data and information to support future reform and development of Victoria’s
Maternal and Child Health Service.
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Best Start
Best Start aims to promote coordination and cooperation between early childhood services to develop strategies to more effectively engage and work with vulnerable families. Best Start operates in areas of high social and economic disadvantage where health, learning and wellbeing outcomes are known to be lower than for the rest of Victoria. Funding is used to employ a facilitator (usually from local government) who coordinates and supports a group of local early childhood services to develop and implement strategies to improve the quality and linkage between services and increase participation in these services by vulnerable children and families.
Best Start sites focus on achieving improvement in three to seven of the specified 15 health, wellbeing and learning outcome indicators. Strategies include community development and outreach to engage families with services as early as possible.
Parenting support services
The Victorian Government funds and provides a range of programs to parents to provide them with the confidence, knowle dge and skills they need to support their children’s healthy growth and development, including:

Supported Play Groups and Parent Initiatives – facilitated parent playgroups for vulnerable parents and children to foster children’s language development, develop motor skills, expose children to sensory experiences and enhance social skills and provide families with opportunities to establish friendships and long-term social support networks and increase parenting capacity, confidence and enjoyment of family life.

Smalltalk – facilitated playgroups and intensive home coaching for vulnerable parents to develop skills to improve home learning environments for children aged six months to three years of age.

Regional Parenting Services – provide information, education and support on a group or individual basis to parents, carers and professionals who work with children (maternal and child health nurses, teachers, and child care workers). Most provide group programs to parents and refer individual parent support issues to relevant family support services.

Strengthening Parent Support program – facilitated group sessions for families with children with a disability or developmental delay for mutual support, networking opportunities, information sharing and training.

Signposts – facilitated group or one-on-one sessions for parents of children with a disability or developmental delay which provides parenting support, information, advice, referral and resources to parents and training and consultancy to professionals.

Rural Playgroup initiative – a project to build participation in playgroups, improve connections to local parenting support services and more effectively engage with and support transitions to early childhood education and care services. The program is being implemented through existing and new community playgroups in three rural communities where opportunities exist to improve the learning and development outcomes of children to ensure that all families and children have access to early learning and support services.

Parentline – statewide telephone advice, referral and counselling service (7.00am to midnight, seven days a week) for families experiencing difficulties with children aged 0 –18 years.

Council for Single Mothers and their Children – telephone advice, referral and counselling service for mothers in single parent families experiencing financial or personal difficulties.
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Education is essential for all children, and access to good quality education and care environments is particularly important for those from vulnerable families, as their other opportunities are likely to be limited. Access to quality early education and care, particularly through a funded kindergarten education program, is known to improve later educational success for children in more disadvantaged families.
Kindergarten is a voluntary and universally available early childhood education program for children in the year before they start school, mostly for children aged four years. The majority of kindergarten programs are run by community service organisations in stand-alone centres, with the remainder provided by local councils and private sector operators, including in long day care centres. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) subsidises the cost of four-year-old kindergarten programs, with remaining costs met by local fundraising and fees paid by families. Families with specific circumstances 24 are eligible for a larger fee subsidy that allows the child to attend a standard program for free (in 2012).
Early Start Kindergarten provides eligible three-year-old children with access to kindergarten for free. The following three-year-old children are eligible for a free kindergarten program:
 children known to child protection (including children referred from child protection to
Child FIRST)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Participation in kindergarten in 2012
Three-year-old participation by Aboriginal children
(Early Start Kindergarten) 25
Four-year-old kindergarten (all children)
Baseline
352 children or 39.2% (of estimated population of Aboriginal young children) 26
97.9%
Source: Annual Confirmed Kindergarten Data Collection, Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development.
Schools have an important role to play in promoting general child wellbeing and reaching out to families in the local community. The universal and compulsory nature of school attendance places a school in a unique position relative to a family. Poor patterns of attendance at school place students at risk of not achieving their educational, social and psychological potential and may affect the choices they are able to make in later life situations.
Average absence days from school in 2012
Year 5
Year 7
Year 9
Baseline
14.4 days
15.4 days
21.0 days
Source: Student Absence Data Collection 2012, Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development. P revious years published in State of Victoria’s Children reports.
24 Families who hold a health care card, have triplets and quadruplets in the same year of kindergarten, parents with a pensioner concession card, temporary protection/humanitarian visas 447, 451, 785 or 786, asylum seekers on Bridging
Visas A –F and Refugee and Special Humanitarian Visas holders 200–217, Resolution of Status (RoS) visa, Class CD, subclass 851, or Department of Veterans Affairs gold card.
25
This was included as a baseline for participation in education as it is a universal service offered to all Aboriginal children. A baseline for all children (including three-year-old children known to child protection) that participate in the
Early Start Kindergarten program is provided on page 40 under indicator 2.1a Families in receipt of targeted assistance associated with early years services.
26
Number and percentage is shown, as the percentage may fluctuate in future reports due to the participation rate being based on ABS experimental projections of the Aboriginal population including young children from 2006 –21. The
Aboriginal population data used in any denominator will be updated when new data is available and these revised population numbers will be applied historically, where possible. Therefore, the percentages stated here may change in future reports.
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The baseline
In 2012, three-year-old kindergarten was provided to 352 Aboriginal children (through accessing the Early Start Kindergarten grant), or 39.2 per cent of the estimated population of Aboriginal three-year-olds.
25 There may also be Aboriginal families who do not access this grant who still access three-year-old kindergarten.
In 2012, 98 per cent of Victorian four-year-olds participated in a kindergarten program. This strong participation rate makes kindergarten an excellent potential platform for identifying vulnerable children, and for referring them or their families to appropriate services, if required.
In 2012, average absence days from government schools were 14.4 days for students in year 5,
15.4 days for students in year 7, and 21 days for year 9 students.
The story so far
Table 3 shows that the number of Aboriginal children participating in three-year-old kindergarten has been increasing. The percentage of Aboriginal three-year-olds in kindergarten increased significantly from 2009 to 2011. The slight decline in 2012 should be treated with caution to the
Aboriginal population data being based on Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) projections that were released in 2008.
27 With revised data becoming available in 2014, the percentages are likely to change.
The participation rate for four-year-old kindergarten has been increasing (see table three) with the rate reaching 97.9 per cent in 2012. For Aboriginal children in four-year-old kindergarten, participation is lower (see figure 3). The latest available data indicates that 70.1 per cent of
Aboriginal children were enrolled in kindergarten in 2011 (the one year lag is due to the following year of prep enrolments being required for the denominator).
Table 3: Participation in kindergarten, Victoria, 2009 to 2012 i. Participation of
Aboriginal children in three-year-old kindergarten
2009
238 children or
27.7% (of estimated population of
Aboriginal young children)
2010
262 children or
30.9% (of estimated population of
Aboriginal young children)
2011
343 children or
39.2% (of estimated population of
Aboriginal young children)
2012
352children or
39.2% (of estimated population of
Aboriginal young children) 28 ii. Participation in four-year-old kindergarten iii. Participation in four-year-old kindergarten
(Aboriginal)
92.7%
67.2%
95.1%
72.8%
94.6%
70.1%
97.9%
Not available
Source: Annual Confirmed Kindergarten Data Collection, Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development.
27 Number and percentage is shown, as the percentage may fluctuate in future reports due to the participation rate being based on ABS experimental projections of the Aboriginal population including young children from 2006 to 2021. The
Aboriginal population data used in any denominator will be updated when new data is available and these revised population numbers will be applied historically, where possible. Therefore, the percentages stated here may change in future reports.
28 This figure will differ from the Victorian Government Aboriginal Affairs Report 2012 because it includes 2 late enrolments.
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Figure 3: Four-year-old kindergarten participation rate, Victoria, 2009 to 2012
Source: Annual Confirmed Kindergarten Data Collection, Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development.
Table 4 shows average absence days (government schools only) for all years from prep to year
12. Government school absence days were highest for Year 9 students. While there are small variations from year to year for prep to Year 8 students, between 2009 and 2012, the later student years (Year 9 through to Year 12) have shown declines of between 1.5 and 2.6 days.
Figure 4 shows the trend in average absence days for Years 5, 7 and 9, as these are the years selected for baseline comparison.
29
Table 4: Average absence days in government schools, Victoria, 2009 to 2012
School year
Prep
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year 11
Year 12
2009
14.7
14.4
14.0
13.6
13.7
14.0
14.4
16.2
19.8
22.5
20.9
15.8
13.0
2010
14.3
14.1
13.8
13.5
13.6
13.8
14.2
15.9
19.2
21.4
20.3
15.1
11.6
2011
14.6
14.2
14.0
13.6
13.9
14.0
14.4
16.0
19.8
21.9
19.6
14.8
11.0
Source: Student Absence Data Collection, CASES21 government school enrolment system (years prior to
2012 published in State of Victoria’s Children reports).
2012
14.9
14.5
14.0
13.8
13.9
14.4
14.5
15.4
19.2
21.0
18.3
14.1
10.9
29 For future comparisons, three grade levels have been selected to measure change in average absence days. These are years 5, 7 and 9. Year 9 is a peak year for absences, as seen in historical data (Table 4). Year 7 has been selected as it represents the transition from primary to secondary school. Year 5 is indicative of attendance in later primary school.
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Figure 4: Average absence days in government schools, Victoria, 2009 to 2012
Source: Student Absence Data Collection, CASES21 government school enrolment system (years prior to
2012 published in State of Victoria’s Children reports.
Absences are higher for students in regional areas and higher for females compared to males.
Average absence days are significantly higher for Aboriginal students (see Figure 5), with
Aboriginal students missing, on average, two weeks more schooling per year. Improvements to the collection of absence data means that reasons for absence will be available in future years.
Figure 5: Average absence days, government schools, by Aboriginal status, Victoria, 2012
Source: Student Absence Data Collection, CASES21 government school enrolment system 2012.
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Victorian Government programs to improve participation in kindergarten and school
Access to Early Learning
Access to Early Learning operates at four sites in Victoria and funding has been committed to expand to an additional three sites. In addition to the Early Start Kindergarten subsidy, the program provides support to families to overcome complex barriers in accessing early childhood education, as well as an outreach program to engage with families to sustain their child’s participation in kindergarten. The Access to Early Learning model incorporates five key elements: quality early education and care; a key facilitation worker; outreach family support; professional and practice development; and brokerage funding.
The program also builds capacity in the Early Childhood Education and Care service system to better meet the needs of vulnerable children, to work more effectively with their families and to work more collaboratively with the broader child and family services system. The Access to Early
Learning service model currently operating in four locations is designed to improve the engagement of vulnerable children in early childhood education that are referred from child protection, Child FIRST or Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Services. The evaluation of
Access to Early Learning found the program has been successful in sustaining access and participation of vulnerable children and is on track to achieve outcomes as intended.
Education and Training Reform (School Attendance) Bill 2013
The Victorian Government has committed to the enforcement of compulsory school attendance. The Education and Training Reform (School Attendance) Bill 2013 (the Bill) was passed through Parliament in early September 2013 and will commence operation from 1
January 2014.
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Regional Directors will be reappointed as School Attendance Officers, and will have the authority to - as a very last resort - issue an infringement notice to a parent. This would only occur after a series of other interventions have failed.
A revised attendance support package as well as new attendance and enrolment guidelines will accompany the introduction of the revised attendance laws. These aim to maximise the participation of children and young people in education and support parents to fulfil their responsibilities to ensure children are enrolled and attend school regularly.
Further conceptual work is required to ensure that robust indicators are developed to measure social and cultural connectedness for families with children. The process for developing additional indicators involves consultation across government and the community sector and this development will continue over the coming months.
In the Report of the Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry . ‘social inclusion’ was defined as the pursuit of creating more opportunities to participate and connect.
30 Social support is available to individuals or families through relationships with friends, extended family, clubs and involvement and engagement with community organisations.
30 Cummins, P, Scott, E and Scales, B, 2012, Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry Report , State Government of Victoria, Melbourne.
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Most Victorian parents with young children (95.2 per cent) feel that they could call on a friend or relative to care for them or their children in an emergency.
31
A very high proportion of Victorian Aboriginal parents/guardians aged 18 years and over of children aged 0 –14 years reported being able to get support outside the household in a time of crisis (89.7 per cent).
32
Families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, especially newly arrived immigrant and refugee families are often facing significant challenges and inclusion barriers due to isolation, communication difficulties, racist attitudes, 33 family violence, substance abuse and increased problems related to parenting.
34 For refugees, the effects of trauma and torture experienced in their country of origin, refugee camps or during their journey to Australia, and the process of seeking asylum has immediate, medium and long-term impacts on the physical and psychological health of parents and children.
35
36
Exposure to violence in the home, or within the family, was identified by the Protecting Victoria’s
Vulnerable Children Inquiry as a key risk associated with child maltreatment.
Children do not have to be physically present when the violence occurs to suffer the negative consequences associated with exposure. Children’s exposure to family violence can increase the risk of mental health, behavioural and learning difficulties in the short-term and development of mental health problems later in life. It is also a key indicator of both adolescent male and female victimisation in intimate relationships.
37
Reporting and prevalence of family violence in 2011 –12
Percentage of family violence incidents where children and young people aged 0 –17 years are present
Source: Family Incident Reports-2011 –12, Victoria Police, LEAP database,
< http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?a=internetBridgingPage&Media_ID=84497 >.
Baseline
36.3%
The baseline
The percentage of family violence incidents where children aged 17 or younger were present, was 36.3 per cent, which is 18,150 incidents, in 2011 –12. The figures relate to recording of children present, and not prevalence.
31 Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 2009, Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Survey 2009 ,
State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, viewed September 2013,
< http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/research/prelimfindings09.pdf
>.
32 Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011, Estimates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians , Commonwealth
Government, Canberra, viewed August 2013, < http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3238.0.55.001
>.
33 Adair, B,2005, ‘Multicultural attitudes to parenting’, Inside Out, July –August, viewed August 2013,
< http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docswr/_assets/main/documents/insideout/insideoutjulyaug05.pdf
>.
34 Parker, R 2009, ‘Helping families with complex needs: Integration of the Strength to Strength and Resources for Adolescents and Parents programs’, Family Relationships Quarterly, No. 14 , viewed August 2013,
< http://www.aifs.gov.au/afrc/pubs/newsletter/n14pdf/n14f.pdf
>.
35 Department of Human Services 2012, Families with multiple and complex needs, Best interests case practice model –
Specialist practice resource , State Government of Victoria and Commonwealth Government, Melbourne.
36
Current indicators measure identification of risk factors; addressing risk factors will require further indicator development.
37 Department of Justice 2012, Measuring Family Violence in Victoria: Victorian Family Violence Database Volume 5
Eleven Year Trend Analysis 1999 – 2010, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, pp. 23.
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Victoria Police aims to reduce risk to children and young people of ongoing exposure to violence through prevention and early intervention. An important aspect of this is recording the presence of all children at family violence incidents, so that appropriate referrals and responses can be provided to break the cycle of violence.
The story so far
The Victorian Police Family Incidents Report 2008 –09 – 2012–13 identifies a 44 per cent increase in the number of family violence incidents reported to police between 2008 –09 – 2012–
13 (an increase of 6,938 incidents).
38
This increase is reflected in the Aboriginal community - Family Incident Reports where the affected family member identified as Aboriginal have more than doubled between 2006 –07 and
2011 –12.
39 The increase is unlikely to represent a significant increase in the actual incidence of family violence, but it likely reflects an increase in reporting to police and an increasingly proactive police approach to family violence.
In addition, the number of children recorded as present at family violence incidents attended by police has increased from 12,025 children present in 2008 –09 to 18,927 children present in
2012 –13.
40 These increases can probably be attributed to increased awareness of the impact of family violence on children and acknowledgment of children as victims in their own right.
The Family Violence Protection Act 2008 41 includes ‘causing a child to be exposed to family violence’ within its definition of family violence. Consistent with this, children and young people are now increasingly being recognised and recorded as victims (‘aggrieved family members’) rather than witnesses in family violence incidents.
Table 5 shows that the percentage of family violence incidents where children and young people aged 0 –17 are present remained stable across the three years from 2008–09 to 2010–11. There was a slight increase in 2011 –12.
Victoria Police’s Crime Statistics 2012 – 13 reported that there were 60,829 incidents where police submitted family incident reports.
42 This was an increase of 21.6 per cent over 2011 –12 (50,016 reports). The rise in reporting of family violence incidents during 2012 –13 is in part attributed to the introduction of the Code of Practice for the Investigation of Family Violence in August 2004, and legislative change brought about by the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 , where offences related to family incidents, such as assault, abduction and kidnap, have risen as a result of this increased reporting.
The levels of family violence are unacceptably high and reported family violence has more than doubled in the past ten years. Family violence has massive social and economic costs, with the financial impact for Victoria estimated to be over $3.4 billion. As outlined in the Family Violence
Protection Act 2008 , while anyone can be a victim or perpetrator of family violence, family violence is predominantly committed by men against women and children.
38 Victoria Police 2013, LEAP database, Family Incident Reports — 2008–09 to 2012–13 , viewed September 2013,
< http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?a=internetBridgingPage&Media_ID=72311 >.
39 Office for Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, Department of Planning and Community Development 2012, Victorian Government
Aboriginal Affairs Report 2012, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne.
40 Office for Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, Department of Planning and Community Development 2012, Victorian Government
Aboriginal Affairs Report 2012, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne.
41
Family Violence Protection Act 2008 ,
< http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubStatbook.nsf/f932b66241ecf1b7ca256e92000e23be/083
D69EC540CD748CA2574CD0015E27C/$FILE/08-52a.pdf
>.
42 Victoria Police 2013, Victoria Police’s Crime Statistics 2012/13 ( Official Release), August 2013, viewed September
2013, < http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?a=internetBridgingPage&Media_ID=72176 >.
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Table 5: Percentage of family violence incidents where children and young people aged 0 –
17 years are present, Victoria, 2008 –09 to 2011–12
Percentage of family violence incidents where children and young people aged 0 –17 years are present
2008 –09 2009 –10 2010 –11 2011 –12
35.5% 35.6% 35.4%
Source: Victoria Police, LEAP database, Family Incident Reports-2008 –09 to 2012–13.
36.3%
Victorian Government responses to family violence
Victoria’s Action Plan to Address Violence Against Women and Children – Everyone has a responsibility to act 2012 –2015 (Action Plan) was launched in October 2012.
43
Victorian Government initiatives to address violence against women and children fall within three streams:

Preventing violence against women and children: by changing attitudes and behaviours, promoting respectful non-violent relationships and promoting gender equity.

Intervening earlier: by identifying and targeting individuals and groups who exhibit early signs of violent behaviour or of being subjected to violence.

Responding through an integrated system: by providing consistent, coordinated and timely responses to women and children who experience family violence and to get tougher on perpetrators and prevent re-offending.

In Victoria, the integrated family violence system involves the police, justice services, and the community services system. The ten year Aboriginal family violence strategy: Strong People,
Strong Culture, Strong Families: Towards a safer future for Indigenous families and communities (2008) guides the development of Aboriginal services and policy in this area.
44
Family violence support services in Victoria provide counselling and support to women and children experiencing family violence. This includes accommodation and support (most with access to Children's Support Workers); outreach, case management and intensive case management; access to private rental; and Safe at Home responses. In addition, two Aboriginalspecific family violence crisis and support facilities have been developed to provide culturally sensitive responses to Aboriginal women and children. Across the state, men's behaviour change programs and men's case management services operate with a key objective to ensure safety for women and children and prevent re-offending.
Other related Victorian Government initiatives in progress include:

Delivering Respectful Relationships Education in Victorian schools.

The Protecting Children: Protocol between the Department of Human Services – Child
Protection and Victoria Police , released in June 2012.

Victoria Police Enhanced Family Violence Service Delivery Model (EFVSDM), which now has 28 Family Violence Teams operating across the state. The EFVSDM was launched in
November 2011 and prioritises action on repeat victims and recidivist offenders.
43 Department of Human Services 2012, Victoria’s Action Plan to Address Violence Against Women and Children –
Everyone has a responsibility to act 2012 – 2015, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, viewed September 2013,
< http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/736056/preventing_violence_against_women_and_children_actio n_plan_102012.pdf
>.
44 Department of Planning and Community Development 2008, Strong People, Strong Culture, Strong Families: Towards a safer future for Indigenous families and communities , State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, viewed September
2013, < http://www.whealth.com.au/documents/health/fv-final_10_year_plan_oct08_2nd_edition.pdf
>.
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
Multidisciplinary Centres are currently operating in three existing locations across Victoria involving co-located key partners: police investigators, sexual assault counsellor/advocates, and child protection practitioners.

Three additional Multidisciplinary Centres are being established to provide improved crosssectoral support for adult and child victims of sexual assault and victims of child abuse.

Service responses to adolescents who use violence in the home. Planning is underway for two new demonstration sites for the adolescent family violence program, announced in the
2013 –14 Victorian State Budget.

Strengthening Family Violence Risk Management Demonstration Projects operating in the
Cities of Hume and Greater Geelong have been extended to provide more intensive support to high risk families. Both have dedicated child worker positions.

Increasing the number of places available in voluntary and courtmandated men’s behaviour change programs.

Creating new indictable offences with stronger penalties for contraventions of intervention orders and safety notices.
Alcohol misuse also contributes to the likelihood of family violence and is a risk factor for child abuse and neglect. Parent or caregiver drinking may affect children along a spectrum of severity, from an inability to take a child to a morning sports match due to a hangover, to the other end of the spectrum where a parent may not be able to adequately feed or clothe a child because of their drinking.
45
Parents reporting risky drinking in 2009/2010
At levels of long-term harm
At levels of short-term harm
Source: Victorian Population Health Survey 2009 (customised data request).
Victorian Population Health Survey 2010 (customised data request).
Baseline
3.7%
13.1%
The baseline
The most recent data for levels of risky drinking among parents is from 2009 for long-term harm, and 2010 for short-term harm. Risky drinking at levels of long-term harm 46 was reported by 3.7 per cent of parents. Risky drinking at levels of short-term harm 47 was reported by 13.1 per cent of parents. The Victorian Population Health Survey identifies parents aged 18 to 59 years (but not the age of their children).
45 Laslett et al. 2010, ‘The range and magnitude of alcohol’s harm to others’, AER Centre for Alcohol Policy Research,
Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, Eastern Health, ACT, viewed August 2013, < http://www.fare.org.au/wpcontent/uploads/2011/10/The-Range-and-Magnitude-of-Alcohols-Harm-to-Others.pdf
>.
46
Based on the National Health and Medical Research Council 2011, Australian Alcohol Guidelines: health risks and benefits, Commonwealth Government, Canberra: more than two standard drinks per day for women (or 14 per week) and four for men (or 28 per week) increase alcohol-related disease risks (long-term harm).
47 National Health and Medical Research Council 2001, Australian Alcohol Guidelines: health risks and benefits ,
Commonwealth Government, Canberra.
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The story so far
The Victorian Population Health Survey asks about alcohol consumption and reports the results according to risk of harm.
48
Parental drinking at levels that may cause long-term harm is reported for 2008 and 2009. Data is not reported for 2010 due to a change in methodology that may have resulted in a sample bias towards the higher socio-economic population, which affected the accuracy of estimates of data known to be related to lower socio-economic status.
Weekly consumption of alcohol at levels that may cause short-term harm was reported by 10.8 per cent of parents in 2008 and 13.1 per cent of parents in 2010. However, this should not be interpreted as an increase as the 95 per cent confidence limits (figures in brackets in Table 6) are overlapping.
While both short and long-term risk of alcohol related harm is reported, short-term risk is likely to be more relevant to children since this is related to the risk of accidents and family violence.
Long-term risk is measuring those who are at risk of developing alcohol related diseases and health issues, and this takes many years of drinking. Short-term risk estimates are likely to be more reliable (low standard errors) and demonstrate little change over the years.
From 2012, the Victorian Population Health Survey will be reporting against the 2009 alcohol guidelines 49 as the 2001 guidelines 50 (against which the data in Table 6 is reported) are now defunct and will no longer be used.
Table 6: Percentage of parents who report risky drinking as defined by the Australian
Alcohol Guidelines, Victoria, 2008 to 2010
Parents reporting risky drinking
Percentage of Victorian parents who report drinking alcohol at the level of long-term harm
Percentage of Victorian parents who report drinking alcohol at the level of short-term harm (at least weekly)
2008
3.1%
(2.4-3.9)
10.8%
(9.2-12.6)
2009
3.7%
(2.8-5.1)
Not available 52
2010
**
51
13.1%
(10.6-16.2)
** Data is not reported for 2010 due to a sample bias towards higher socio-economic population, which affects the accuracy of low prevalence estimates.
Note: 95 per cent confidence limits are shown in brackets.
Source: Victorian Population Health Surveys 2008-2010 (customised data request).
48 National Health and Medical Research Council 2001, Australian Alcohol Guidelines: health risks and benefits ,,
Commonwealth Government, Canberra.
49 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC ) 2009 , Australian Alcohol Guidelines: health risks and benefits ,
Commonwealth Government, Canberra.
50 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 2009 , Australian Alcohol Guidelines: health risks and benefits,
Commonwealth Government, Canberra.
51
Data age-standardised by five
–year age groups 2008 and 2009, by ten–year age groups 2010 due to sample size issues.
52 There is no short-term risk data for 2009 as the survey questions were amended in order to calculate risk according to the new 2009 alcohol guidelines. However, the question did not provide reliable results so the original question was used in 2010. The 2012 statewide survey will report on the 2009 guidelines for the first time.
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Victorian Government responses to alcohol and drugs

Reducing the alcohol and drug toll: Victoria’s plan 2013-2017 53 is a 15-point plan that provides a comprehensive response to alcohol, pharmaceutical drugs and illegal drugs.
There are five specific action areas in this Victorian Government plan to reduce alcohol misuse.

The Victorian Government is currently re-commissioning state government funded alcohol and drug treatment services. These reforms, which give effect to the policy directions outlined in New directions for alcohol and drug treatment services: a roadmap , will make it easier for people to get the treatment services they need, when they need them. Key among the changes are streamlined and centralised access, simplified service delivery underpinned by more flexible funding arrangements, and area-based approaches to planning and integration with other health and human services. The reformed service system will have an increased focus on flexible, tailored and recovery-oriented responses that are more culturally sensitive and take into consideration a person’s family and the needs of children in their care. New arrangements for adult non-residential services and new catchment based planning and intake functions will be in place from mid 2014, with reform of youth and residential services to follow in 2015.

During this process, the Victorian government is continuing to invest over $150 million into alcohol and other drug services, including a range of harm reduction activities. Its strategy includes responses to emerging issues, such as investments to reduce drug related harm in
Aboriginal communities through local prevention and education, and targeted investments to improve treatment and community awareness regarding crystal methamphetamine (ice).

The Victorian Government is working to reduce alcohol-related violence, antisocial behaviour and drink driving through strengthening police powers to discourage irresponsible alcohol consumption and antisocial behaviour. It is also strengthening the partnership between alcohol and drug services, family violence services and Victoria Police in order to better address alcohol and drug use as a risk factor in family violence as part of Victoria’s Action
Plan to Address Violence Against Women and Children – Everyone has a responsibility to act 2012 –2015.
54
 Reform is underway to strengthen Victoria’s liquor regulation system and will include putting in place incentives to ensure licensees comply with relevant laws and regulations and increased penalties for non-compliant licensees. The Victorian Government has also introduced legislation banning the supply of alcohol to minors in a private residence without parental consent. These laws return the decision-making about the consumption of alcohol by a minor to parents and help to tackle the prevalence of underage drinking.
53 Department of Health 2013, Reducing the alcohol and drug toll: Victoria’s plan 2013-2017, State Government of
Victoria, viewed September 2013, < http://www.health.vic.gov.au
>.
54
Department of Human Services 2012,
Victoria’s Action Plan to Address Violence Against Women and Children –
Everyone has a responsibility to act 2012 –2015 , State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, viewed September 2013,
< http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/736056/preventing_violence_against_women_and_children_actio n_plan_102012.pdf
>.
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
VicHealth is leading a long-term cultural change program to address our drinking culture and support Victorians to make informed drinking choices. The $2.6 million Name that Point cam paign will take a systematic approach to changing Victoria’s ingrained drinking culture, by promoting healthier attitudes to excessive drinking and drunkenness in our community. It will initially focus on young people aged 16 –29, who are more likely than other age groups to engage in high levels of risky drinking. For more information see:
< http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/Media-Centre/Opinion-pieces/Current/Lets-find-the-pointwhen-order-becomes-disorder.aspx?p=1 >.

The Victorian Government is also delivering comprehensive, evidence-based alcohol and drug education and health promotion that will strengthen wellbeing and resilience amongst young people. A new secondary school alcohol and drug curriculum was implemented in
2013, this has a broad focus on fostering resilience and empowering children and young people to be socially confident.
Further conceptual work is required to ensure that robust indicators are developed to measure parental mental health. The process for developing additional indicators involves consultation across government and the community sector and this development will continue over the coming months.
The Report of the Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry stated that the symptoms of mental health problems can impact upon a parent’s perception, cognition and ability to communicate. Mental illness can manifest in a parent being withdrawn, inconsistent, less active with children and emotionally distant or unavailable.
55
The effects on children include psychological stress, insecure attachment, risk of abuse from the parent and potentially developing mental health problems of their own.
While indicators around parental mental health will be explored through further consultation, data related to general mental health is available from the 2010 Victorian Population Health Survey.
56
The majority of Victorians aged 18 years and over (64.4 per cent) reported low levels of psychological distress in the four weeks preceding the survey, with a further 21.7 per cent reporting moderate levels. High and very high levels of psychological distress were reported by
7.9 per cent and 2.6 per cent of persons, respectively.
According to the Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Survey 2009 57 3.8 per cent of parents of children aged 0 –12 years were at risk of mental health difficulties.
55 Hegarty, M 2005, Supporting children affected by parental dual diagnosis — Mental illness and substance use — a collaborative mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention initiative, Ausienetter 25(3).
56
Department of Health 2010, Victorian Population Health Survey 2010 , viewed August 2013,
< http://docs.health.vic.gov.au/docs/doc/Victorian-population-health-survey-2010:-selected-findings >.
57 Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 2009, Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Survey 2009 , viewed August 2013, < http://www.deecd.vic.gov.au
>.
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Child abuse and neglect have both current and long-term adverse consequences for children, including behavioural and learning problems, substance use, antisocial and criminal behaviour, and poor physical and mental health.
58 Child abuse and neglect are commonly classified into categories of physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect.
Children who are abused or neglected or have a parent who cannot protect or care for them adequately may come to the attention of child protection authorities. Abuse is substantiated if there is reasonable cause to deem that a child has been, is being, or is likely to be abused or neglected or otherwise harmed. It is important to note that there is no reliable measure on the overall prevalence of child abuse. The following substantiation data reported only relate to situations where the child has come to the attention of the child protection authorities.
Child protection substantiation rates in 2011 –2012
Child protection substantiations per 1,000 children
Source: Child Protection Collection 2012, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
< http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=60129542752 >.
Baseline
7.1
The baseline
In 2011 –12 there were 7.1 child protection substantiations per 1,000 children, for children aged 0 to 17 years in Victoria.
The story so far
Table 7 shows rates of substantiated child abuse in Victoria have increased from 2009 –10 to
2011 –12. It should be noted however that this increase may be at least in part due to increases in reporting. Rates of substantiation are higher for Aboriginal children, and these rates have also been increasing.
The rate of substantiations per 1,000 child population is a measure of identification, reporting and investigation; it does not represent all ‘incidents’ of child abuse in the community. While a reduction in the incidence of child abuse and neglect in the community is desirable, a reduction in the identification or substantiation of abuse does not necessarily reflect a reduction in incidence.
Table 7: Child protection substantiation rates, children aged 0 –17 years, Victoria, 2009–10 to 2011 –12
Child protection substantiation rates
Rate of child protection substantiations per 1,000 children
Rate of child protection substantiations for Aboriginal children per 1,000 children
2009 –10
5.2
46.9
2010 –11
5.9
50.4
2011 –12
7.1
62.5
Source: Report on Government Services 2013, Productivity Commission, Table 15A.56
< http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/121780/22-government-services-2013-chapter15.pdf
>.
The recent increase in substantiations is a result of increases in the number of investigations undertaken (see Table 8). These increases reflect increases in reports largely due to community and professional awareness of abuse. Investigations increased 66.9 per cent and substantiations
58 Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 2009, Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Survey 2009 , viewed August 2013, < http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/research/prelimfindings09.pdf
>.
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Baseline Performance Data Report have increased 57.8 per cent in the previous five years. The rate of substantiations per investigation (56.5 per cent in 2012 –13) is indicative of whether investigation thresholds are appropriate and well targeted.
Table 8: Number of investigations and substantiations, for children aged 0 –17 years,
Victoria, 2008 –2012
Number of investigations commencing during period
2008 –09
11,519
2009 –10
13,918
2010 –11
14,164
Number of substantiations during the period 6,880 6,984 8,164
Source: Child Protection Australia 2011 –12, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare,
< http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=60129542752 >.
2011 –12
16,241
9,271
Source: Report on Government Services 2013, Productivity Commission,
< http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/121780/22-government-services-2013-chapter15.pdf
>.
Figure 6 shows the age of children in child protection substantiations in Victoria, in 2011 –12. The rate of substantiation per 1,000 children is highest for babies aged under one-year-old, followed by pre-school aged children.
Figure 6: Rates of children in substantiations of notifications received in 2011 –12, by age,
Victoria
Source: Child Protection Australia 2011
–12, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Table 2.3
< http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=60129542752 >.
Victorian Government responses to substantiation of child abuse
Reducing the prevalence of child abuse, and therefore substantiations of abuse, requires an integrated whole-of-government and systems response consisting of educational, mainstream, and early intervention services to prevent reports, and targeted interventions capable of long-term interventions with vulnerable families. Recent evidence in neuropsychology and brain development stresses the importance of early intervention during infancy to prevent harm. In
Victoria the capacity to work with mothers of unborn children provides invaluable opportunities for early intervention as do the Cradle to Kinder program and the Enhanced Maternal and Child
Health and Integrated Family Service.
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For Aboriginal children and families, the Victorian Government Aboriginal Affairs Report 2012 , 59 lists the following Aboriginal child and family initiatives that aim to strengthen families, reduce the need for ongoing child protection involvement and reunify families after child protection intervention. These include:

Integrated family services – Indigenous

Aboriginal Family Preservation and Restoration

Aboriginal Stronger Families

Aboriginal Cradle to Kinder

Strengthening Aboriginal Organisations.
Out-of-home care is the term used to describe the placement of children and young people away from their parents, due to concern that they are at risk of significant harm. The purpose of out-ofhome care is to provide children and young people who are unable to live at home due to significant risk of harm, with a placement, which ensures their safety, promotes healthy development and achieves stability.
Nearly all foster care and residential care in Victoria is provided and managed by community service organisations, many of which have long histories of providing care to vulnerable children and young people. The Department of Human Services oversees the majority of kinship care placements, where children and young people placed with their extended family, friends or known social network.
There are currently over 6,000 children and young people living in out-of-home care in Victoria.
60
These children and young people have been subject to protective intervention by child protection and are subject to a range of Children’s Court orders. They live in a range of alternative care arrangements away from their parents, including living with relatives or friends (kinship care), living with non-relative families in foster care and living in residential care units with rostered care staff (residential care). Some children or young people may live in out-of-home care for only a few days or weeks while others may be in care for many years.
Children in out-of-home care in 2012
Children in out-of-home care per 1,000 children
Source: Child Protection Collection 2012, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Baseline
5.1
The baseline
At 30 June 2012, there were 6,207 children in out-of-home care (aged 0 –17 years), a rate of 5.1 per 1,000 children.
59
Office for Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, Department of Planning and Community Development 2012, Victorian Government
Aboriginal Affairs Report 2012, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne.
60 Victorian Government 2013, Victoria’s Vulnerable Children – Our Shared Responsibility Strategy 2013–2022 , State
Government of Victoria, Melbourne.
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The story so far
Rates of children in out-of-home care have increased from 2010 to 2012. Rates are much higher for Aboriginal children, and these have also increased over the last three years. Rates of children in out-of-home care are related to rates of child protection notifications, investigations and substantiations (see Tables 7 and 8), therefore the increase in rates shown in Table 9 is consistent with the trend in child protection notifications and substantiations.
Table 9: Out-of-home care rates, children aged 0 –17 years, Victoria, as at 30 June each year, 2010 to 2012
Children in out-of-home care 2010 2011 2012
Rate of children in out-of-home care (per 1,000 children) 4.4 4.6
Rate of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care (per 1,000 children) 53.7 57.3
5.1
66.4
Source: Report on Government Services 2013, Productivity Commission, Table 15A.60
< http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/121780/22-government-services-2013-chapter15.pdf
> .
Victorian Government policies and programs for children and young people in out-ofhome care
Culturally appropriate child protection and out-of-home care responses to Aboriginal children and their families are also supported. These are referred to in the Children, Youth and Families Act
2005 61 and supported through investment in the following initiatives:

Aboriginal Child Specialist Advice and Support Service

Aboriginal Family Decision Making

Cultural Support Plan Program

Aboriginal Permanent Care Program

A range of Aboriginal out-of-home care programs

Aboriginal Leaving Care program.
Five year plan for out-of-home care
A five year plan for children and young people in out-of-home care is being developed. The plan will examine how outcomes for children in out-of-home care can be improved and also how we might reduce growth in placement numbers in the long-term.
Policy and programs for home-based care in Victoria, including contracted kinship care, and all forms of foster care are contained within Program requirements for home-based care in Victoria –
July 2012 . < http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/about-the-department/documents-and-resources /policies,guidelines-and-legislation/program-requirements-for-home-based-care-in-victoria > .
Policy and programs for residential care in Victoria are contained within Program requirements for residential care services in Victoria – Version 1 July 2012.
< http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/about-thedepartment/documents-and-resources/policies,-guidelines-and-legislation/program-requirementsfor-residential-care-services-in-victoria > .
Policy and program requirements for kinship placements that are not contracted to community service organisations are contained in the Child Protection Practice Manual < http://www.dhs.vic. gov.au/cpmanual/out-of-home-care/kinship/1435-kinship-care-and-assessment >.
61 Children, Youth and Families Act 2005, viewed September 2013,
< http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubStatbook.nsf/edfb620cf7503d1aca256da4001b08af/15A
4CD9FB84C7196CA2570D00022769A/$FILE/05-096a.pdf
> .
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Further conceptual work is required to ensure that robust indicators are developed to measure a positive family environment. The process for developing additional indicators involves consultation across government and the community sector and this development will continue over the coming months.
The current indicators against Outcome 1.3 Families effectively protect and nurture their children represent the acute end of the vulnerable spectrum, where children are reported to child protection authorities or are placed in out-of-home care. Risk factors for child abuse and neglect have been outlined in this section but conversely, protective factors can reduce vulnerability.
Earlier in this section, the benefits of participation in universal services and social connectedness/supports were outlined.
Government, as a guardian, can meet many immediate and long-term needs of a child, but it cannot directly nurture a child or provide the sense of identity, belonging and emotional support that comes from living in a supportive family environment.
62
Nine out of ten (89.9 per cent) Victorian families with children aged 0 –12 have healthy functioning in areas such as problem solving, communication, organisation, behaviour control, and emotional responsiveness and involvement.
63
62
Cummins, P, Scott, E and Scales, B 2012,
Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry Report
, State Government of
Victoria, Melbourne.
63 Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 2009 , Victorian Child Health and Wellbeing Survey 2009,
State Government of Victoria, viewed September 2013,
< http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/research/prelimfindings09.pdf
>.
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This goal requires early intervention when vulnerabilities are identified, including referral to secondary and tertiary services where required.
The earlier we can respond to child vulnerability, the more effective that intervention is likely to be.
The children, young people and families we are targeting are more likely to be identified or already known to secondary services and child protection services. It is in this stage of vulnerability that early action is paramount.
There is significant opportunity to turn around the high risk of abuse and neglect through early and coordinated action. In addition, early attention to those children and young people who suffer abuse or neglect, ensuring that their developmental needs are being met, can turn around children’s and families’ lives.
The best way to support a vulnerable child is to ensure that their family is well supported, and to act as quickly as possible when signs of vulnerability emerge. Victoria has a strong set of universal, secondary and tertiary services. Two of these services are used as indicators of provision of targeted assistance associated with early years services – enhanced maternal and child health, and early start kindergarten.
Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Service
The Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Service responds to the needs of children and families at risk of poor outcomes, in particular where there are multiple risk factors. This service is provided in addition to the suite of services offered through the Universal Maternal and Child
Health Service. It provides a more intensive level of support, including short-term case management in some circumstances. Support may be provided in a variety of settings, such as the family’s home, the Maternal and Child Health Centre or another location within the community.
The primary focus of the Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Service is families with one or more of the following risk factors:
 drug and alcohol issues
 mental health issues
 family violence issues
 families known to child protection
 homelessness
 unsupported parent(s) under 24 years of age
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 low-income, socially isolated, single-parent families
 significant parent-baby bonding and attachment issues
 parent with an intellectual disability
 children with a physical or intellectual disability
 infants at increased medical risk due to prematurity, low birth weight, drug dependency and failure to thrive.
Aboriginal families who are not linked into, or who require additional support to access the
Universal Maternal and Child Health Service are included in the target group.
Families receiving the Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Service are eligible for an average of
15 hours of additional service per family in metropolitan areas and an average of 17 additional hours in rural areas.
Early Start Kindergarten
Quality kindergarten programs improve children’s learning, health and behaviour with positive impacts that extend into adult life. Early Start Kindergarten initiatives provide free kindergarten programs for:
 three-year-old children known to child protection (including those referred directly from child protection to Child FIRST)
 three-year-old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Families receiving targeted early years assistance
Percentage of clients receiving Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Services
(2011 –12)
Number of children enrolled in Early Start Kindergarten (2012)
Baseline
16.9%
571
Source: Early Start Kindergarten Department of Education and Early Childhood Development data.
The baseline
In 2011 –12, Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Services were provided to 16.9 per cent of clients. There were 571 children enrolled in Early Start Kindergarten in 2012.
64
The story so far
Table 10 shows that the proportion of clients receiving enhanced Maternal and Child Health services has varied over the last three years, and has remained between 16 per cent and 18 per cent.
The number of children participating in Early Start Kindergarten (both Aboriginal children and children known to child protection) has increased, from 272 in 2009, to 571 in 2012 (See Table
11).
64
This is reported as a number. As it includes Aboriginal children, and children known to child protection, a suitable denominator is not available. Estimated number of Aboriginal three-year-olds is used as a denominator for the Aboriginal component (in Indicator 1.1b); it may be possible in future, to report against the number of three-year-olds in child protection.
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Table 10: Early years targeted program participation (enhanced Maternal and Child
Health), Victoria, 2009 –10 to 2011–12
Early years targeted program participation 2009 –10 2010 –11 2011 –12 i.
Percentage of Maternal and Child Health clients with children aged 0 –1 year receiving enhanced
Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Services 65
16.1 17.7 16.9
Source: Budget Paper 3, 2013
–14, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development,
< http://www.dtf.vic.gov.au/Publications/State-Budget-publications/Budget-Paper-No-3-Service-Delivery >.
Table 11: Early years targeted program participation (Early Start Kindergarten), Victoria,
2009 to 2012
2009 2010 2011 ii.
Participation in three-year-old kindergarten – number of children enrolled in Early Start
Kindergarten
2012
Aboriginal children 238 262 343 352
Children known to child protection 34 205 205 219
Total in targeted programs 272 467 548 571
Source: Early Start Kindergarten Department of Education and Early Childhood Development data.
Victorian Government programs to assist families under pressure
Parentline
A confidential and anonymous statewide telephone counselling, information and referral service for parents and carers of children aged 0 –18 years. Qualified and experienced staff are available to talk with parents about a wide range of parenting issues including child behaviour/development, family breakdown, the parent-child relationship, bullying, adolescent aggression/violence, and parental stress
Smalltalk early home learning
The smalltalk early home learning program supports parents to improve the home environment for early learning and development for disadvantaged children aged from six months to three years. Smalltalk is provided through supported playgroups and Maternal and Child Health parent groups in 19 local government areas across Victoria, with some parents also receiving home coaching. Sixty eight groups were running the program in Term 1, 2013.
Supported Playgroups
Service delivery contracts for Supported Playgroups and Parent Group Initiatives in 29 municipalities have been renewed. Supported Playgroups engage vulnerable families and provide quality play opportunities for children at a critical time in their development. They build parents’ capacity to support their child’s health, development, learning and wellbeing and allow families to build connections with each other, with universal services, and with more specialised supports that may be available.
65
The Enhanced Maternal Child Health Service is intended to be delivered to ten per cent of families. Current performance is likely to reflect lower than desired service levels per family because the service is spreading the resources across a larger number of families. More effective targeting of Enhanced Maternal and Child Health Services to respond to the needs of vulnerable families may result in a reduced proportion of families receiving the service over time .
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Funding to help children known to statutory child protection
Ongoing funding is being provided to help children known to statutory child protection to access quality early childhood education and care, including three-year-old kindergarten programs to ensure they have access to two years of quality education and care before beginning school.
Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Program
The Department of Health continues to fund the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Program, which aims to maximise the health and wellbeing of vulnerable pregnant women and their babies.
Peri-natal Emotional Health
The Peri-natal Emotional Health Program has been extended to metropolitan Melbourne, to identify and support women with mental health symptoms during pregnancy and in the critical first
12 months of their babies’ lives.
Cradle to Kinder program
The Cradle to Kinder program is an intensive ante and postnatal support service to provide longer term, intensive family and early parenting support for a group of vulnerable young mothers and their children. The service commences in pregnancy and continues until the child reaches four years of age.
Six Cradle to Kinder programs, including one Aboriginal program, have been established in existing Department of Human Services Child and Family Services Information, Referral and
Support Teams (Child FIRST) catchment areas. These services commenced in April 2012. The remaining four programs, including the second Aboriginal Cradle to Kinder program will commence in early 2014.
Further conceptual work is required to ensure that robust indicators are developed to measure families under pressure. The process for developing additional indicators involves consultation across government and the community sector and this development will continue over the coming months.
Data provided below is indicative of families under potential financial pressures, using rent or mortgage payments comprising more than 30 per cent of household income, as an indicator of financial stress (for all households). As this is taken from the Census of Population and Housing, it is only available every five years. Both rent and mortgage stress have increased since the 2006
Census, with 9.1 per cent of renting households having rent payments more than 30 per cent of household income; and 10.1 per cent of mortgage paying households spending more than 30 per cent of income on mortgage payments.
Households under financial pressure
Victoria
2006
Victoria
2011
Australia
2011
Percentage of renting households where rent payments are 30 per cent, or greater, of household income
Percentage of mortgage-paying households where mortgage payments are 30 per cent, or greater, of household income
8.1%
8.7%
9.1%
10.1%
10.4%
9.9%
Source: Census of Population and Housing, Australian Bureau of Statistics,
< http://www.abs.gov.au/census >.
Other indicators may be explored around premature or medically fragile infants, those with genetic or other congenital abnormalities, and those with complex medical needs. All of these factors have an impact on the relationship between infants and their parents.
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Child FIRST has been established in 24 catchments across Victoria to provide a visible point of entry to local family service providers and other support services for vulnerable families. Under
Section 22 of the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 , the objectives of Child FIRST and family services are to:

Provide a point of entry into an integrated local service network that is readily accessible by families, that allows for early intervention in support of families and that provides child and family services.

Receive reports about vulnerable children and families where there are significant concerns about their wellbeing.

Undertake assessments of needs and risks in relation to children and families to assist in the provision of services to them and in determining if a child is in need of protection.

Make referrals to other relevant agencies if this is necessary to assist vulnerable children and families.

Promote and facilitate integrated local service networks working collaboratively to coordinate services and supports to children and families.

Provide ongoing services to support vulnerable children and families.
Child FIRST assessments and interventions and monitoring support services accessed by children and young people, are all ways of acting earlier when children are vulnerable (Goal 2).
Child FIRST assessments in 2011 –12
Number of Child FIRST assessments and interventions
Baseline
9,709
Source: Budget Paper 3, 2013
–14, Department of Human Services,
< http://www.dtf.vic.gov.au/Publications/State-Budget-publications/Budget-Paper-No-3-Service-Delivery >.
The baseline
In 2011 –12, there were 9,709 children that received Child FIRST assessments and interventions.
This is the actual number of assessments and interventions provided in 2011 –12, as reported in
Budget Paper No. 3 Service Delivery 2013 –14. This report quotes an ‘expected outcome for
2012 –13’ as 10,684 Child FIRST assessments and interventions; however, the most recent actual number is used as the baseline measure.
The story so far
The number of Child FIRST assessments in Victoria has increased compared to 2009 –10 (see
Table 12). This indicator is likely to be influenced by levels of funding which affect the capacity of the program to deliver services. Year on year, numbers may fluctuate, and it should be noted that the number of assessments and interventions provided are not an indication of the level of demand for the service.
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Table 12: Number of Child FIRST assessments and interventions, Victoria, 2009 –10 to
2011 –12
2009 – 10 2010 – 11 2011 – 12
Source: Budget Paper 3, 2013 –14, Department of Human Services,
< http://www.dtf.vic.gov.au/Publications/State-Budget-publications/Budget-Paper-No-3-Service-Delivery >.
Programs and policies related to Child FIRST
The Strategic framework for family services 2007 66 outlines Victoria's approach to responding to vulnerable children, young people and their families. It provides guidance on the legislative and policy context, the Best Interests framework for vulnerable children and families, the governance arrangements for child and family services alliances, the role of Child FIRST and integrated family services, the family services principles and service delivery approaches.
The Child Protection and Integrated Family Services State-wide Agreement (Shell Agreement)
2013 67 describes the legislative and policy requirements and high level statewide practice guidelines between child protection and Child FIRST/integrated family services.
The Program requirements for family and early parenting services in Victoria July 2012 68 has been developed to clearly set out the expectations and requirements to guide, support and inform quality service delivery.
The Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 provides the legislative basis for an integrated system of services for vulnerable children, young people and their families.
Further conceptual work is required to ensure that robust indicators are developed to measure types of support accessed by children and young people. The process for developing additional indicators involves consultation across government and the community sector and this development will continue over the coming months.
A range of possible indicators may be explored, including those that can be derived from data sources such as the School Entrant Health Questionnaire 69 , the Student Online Case System 70 , and Department of Health’s mental health service records.
66 Department of Human Services 2007, Strategic Framework for Family Services, State Government of Victoria,
Melbourne, < http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/588082/strategic-framework-for-family-services-
2007.pdf
>.
67 Department of Human Services 2013 , Child Protection and Integrated Family Services State-wide Agreement (Shell
Agreement) 2013, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, < http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/about-thedepartment/documents-and-resources/policies,-guidelines-and-legislation/child-protection-and-integrated-family-servicesagreement >.
68 Department of Human Services 2012, The Program requirements for family and early parenting services in Victoria July
2012, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, < http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/about-the-department/documents-andresources/policies,-guidelines-and-legislation/program-requirements-for-family-and-early-parenting-services >.
69
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 2013, School Entrant Health Questionnaire, State
Government of Victoria, Melbourne, < http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/research/pages/reportdatahealth.aspx
>.
70 Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 2013, Student Support Services Fact Sheet , State
Government of Victoria. < http://jwatterston.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/d9007103.pdf
>.
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The statutory child protection program within the Department of Human Services receives and responds to reports from professionals and others in the community where they have significant concern for a child's wellbeing, including an unborn child, or where they believe a child is in need of protection.
Each report is assessed. Where required to complete this assessment, further information from professionals who may hold relevant information is sought. Based on this assessment the reporter may be provided with advice, or the child and family may be offered assistance and support by services in the community, for example Child FIRST, or a mental health, or other service. However if the assessment is that the child may be in need of protection from abuse or neglect, child protection commences an investigation of the report.
A child protection investigation will include direct contact with the child and their parents, and will usually include gathering information from other sources such as from those in the community who may hold relevant information about the child’s situation or from relevant records.
An investigation is concluded when child protection has reached decisions about whether or not the report has been substantiated and the level of current and future risk to the child. These decisions are based on a professional analysis of information gathered in the course of the investigation.
The time taken to complete an investigation is an indicator of service outcomes in that it measures the length of time child protection takes to complete investigations of reports of child abuse and neglect. Completing investigations effectively and efficiently is an important element of providing protection in a timely way for children who are at significant risk. It also assists with effectively directing the resources of the child protection program to those children most in need.
Time taken to complete investigation of reports of abuse or neglect in 2011 –12
Percentage of investigations completed in 28 days or less
Percentage of investigations completed in more than 90 days
Source: Report on Government Services 2013, Productivity Commission, TABLE 15A.15.
Baseline
30.3%
27.1%
The baseline
In 2011 –12, 30.3 per cent of investigations were completed in less than 28 days. In 27.1 per cent of cases, it took more than 90 days to complete an investigation.
The story so far
Response times to complete investigations on reports of abuse or neglect have improved in the past three years. In particular, the proportion of investigations taking 90 days or more has declined from 32.4 per cent in 2009 –10 to 27.1 per cent in 2011–12 (see Table 13 and Figure 7).
The proportion of cases taking 28 days or less to complete, increased marginally.
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Table 13: Time taken to complete investigation where there are reports of abuse or neglect, Victoria, 2009 –10 to 2011–12
28 days or less
29 to 62 days
63 to 90 days
More than 90 days
2009 –10
29.8%
24.1%
13.6%
32.4%
2010 –11
29.0%
24.6%
15.3%
31.1%
2011 –12
30.3%
26.5%
16.0%
27.1%
Source: Report on Government Services 2013, Productivity Commission, Table 15A.15,
< http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/121780/22-government-services-2013-chapter15.pdf
>.
Figure 7: Time taken to complete investigation following reports of abuse or neglect,
Victoria, 2009 –10 to 2011–12
Source: Report on Government Services 2013, Productivity Commission, Table 15A.15,
< http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/121780/22-government-services-2013-chapter15.pdf
>.
Programs and policies related to response times for case investigations
The child protection program in the Victorian Department of Human Services is responsible for conducting investigations into reports of child abuse and neglect. The policy and procedural requirements are set out in practice advice in the Child Protection Practice Manual . Specific requirements are in place in relation to the planning and preparation for an investigation.

Where an urgent investigation is assessed as being necessary, face-to-face contact with both the child and parents must be attempted within two calendar days of receipt of the report.

For all investigations, face-to-face contact with both the child and parents must be attempted within 14 calendar days of receipt of the report.

It is expected that within 28 days of receipt of the report a decision will be made about whether the report has been substantiated.

If it is not possible to determine the risk level within 90 days, extension requires senior approval and close monitoring.
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Re-substantiation rates are an indicator of service outcomes and measure the extent to which child protection intervention has been effective in keeping those children, who have been assessed to be at risk, safe from further harm in the short-term and longer term.
If a child protection has substantiated that a child has been harmed or is at risk, it is expected to intervene to ensure that the child is not harmed again.
The re-substantiation rate may reflect decision-making at closure, the capacity of support services to engage with families to address referred concerns, new family circumstances, or insufficient capacity in both child protection and secondary services.
A reduction in the rate of re-substantiation can be achieved by:
 promoting a more stable and skilled workforce
 strengthening family services and integration with family violence
 monitoring outcomes for families referred to community services.
As with all child protection activity, a balance has to be struck between over-intervention and under-protection.
Rates of re-substantiation of child abuse in 2011 –12
Subject of a re-substantiation within three months
Subject of a re-substantiation within twelve months
Source: Report on Government Services 2013, Productivity Commission, Table15A.10.
Baseline
1.2%
10.1%
The baseline
In the 2011 –12 period, 1.2 per cent of children in a substantiated report of abuse or neglect, were the subject of re-substantiation within three months. One in ten children were the subject of a resubstantiation within twelve months. This figure includes those that were re-substantiated within three months.
The story so far
Three-month re-substantiation rates have risen slightly over the past three years, and 12 month rates have risen more substantially. Table 14 shows the rate of re-substantiations over the three years from 2009 –10 to 2011–12, and should be viewed in conjunctions with Table 7, which shows increasing numbers of investigations, and consequently, substantiations.
If a subsequent report is substantiated following a period of child protection intervention within the previous three or 12 months, this may tend to indicate that the previous intervention was insufficient. While this may not always be the case, it is considered reasonable for the program to endeavour to improve against this measure
In August 2010, the child protection program clarified its substantiation policy. Prior to this, there was variation in practice resulting in some investigations being recorded as not substantiated when, if the policy had been applied as intended, they would have been substantiated. Some of the increase we are seeing may be due to better compliance with the policy. This would be affecting both substantiation and re-substantiation data.
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Table 14: Rate of substantiations within 3 or 12 months of a previous substantiation 71
Victoria, 2009 –10 to 2011–12
Rate of re-substantiations
Subject of a re-substantiation within 3 months
Subject of a re-substantiation within 12 months
2009 –10
0.9%
6.8%
2010 –11
0.7%
7.4%
2011 –12
1.2%
10.1%
Source: Report on Government Services 2013, Productivity Commission, Table 15A.10,
< http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/121780/22-government-services-2013-chapter15.pdf
>.
Programs and policies related to re-substantiations
New operating model for statutory child protection
The most significant reform of Victoria’s child protection workforce in three decades culminated in
November 2012 with the rollout of a new operating model. The model involves experienced child protection practitioners spending more time working with vulnerable children and mentoring newer practitioners, thus strengthening risk assessment and decision-making. The proportion of the workforce that works directly with children and young people has increased from 63 per cent to at least 75 per cent. Promoting a more stable and skilled child protection workforce is critical in reducing re-substantiation rates.
Services Connect
Services Connect has been developed to connect people with the right support, address the whole range of their needs and help people build their strengths and capabilities to improve their lives. Services Connect looks to transcend traditional administrative boundaries to connect human services; from housing to child and family services, to disability support, community mental health, and alcohol and drug treatment services.
The key elements of Services Connect include:

One assessment so that families only have to tell their story once.

One key worker who works with families most in need.

One plan focused on building people’s strengths and capabilities and helping them move towards greater independence.
 Different levels of support to meet people’s needs as they change over time.
Services Connect trials have been operating in Dandenong, Geelong and the South West Coast for over one year with promising results. The government has now expanded the trial to
Shepparton and Preston. This is an important step forward, giving us a strong foundation to continue developing and testing our new approach to integrated human services.
71 Definitions/counting rules:
Figures represent proportion of all children who were the subject of a substantiation.
Children who were the subject of a re-substantiation are those who were the subject of a substantiation in 2011
–12, regardless of the date of notification, who were also the subject of at least one subsequent notification within the periods specified (90 days and 365 days) that is subsequently substantiated. Note: the subsequent notification must be made after the initial substantiation.
a) The periods should be counted from the date of the first substantiation for a child in the financial year. b) Each child should only be counted once in each of the specified counting periods. However, a child may be counted in more than one period: for example, a child who was the subject of a substantiation in 2011 –12 who was the subject of a subsequent substantiation in 60 days, would be counted in both the 90 day period and the 365 day period for that year.
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Family group conferencing
A family group conference (FGC), sometimes called a family decision-making (FDM) meeting, is a formal family decision-making process within child protection and is part of case planning.
There is also a family decision-making program specifically for Aboriginal families. The Aboriginal
Family Decision Making (AFDM) program operates in every division. AFDM gives effect to case planning for Aboriginal children who are clients of Child Protection. AFDM is a collaborative process, which involves active participation of family, extended family and community members in decision making about safety, stability and development of an Aboriginal child. The model utilises tradition Aboriginal approaches to solving family problems and involves Aboriginal elders and the extended family.
Family decision-making, through an FGC or AFDM emphasises a partnership approach that encourages families and children to arrive at their own solutions and strategies to minimise harm and ensure safety, stability and development. The process recognises the right of families as the fundamental group unit of society to be involved in decision-making and to freely express their desires and opinions. The aim is to strengthen and build partnerships with families. The process enables collaborative decision-making with scope to expand family potential and involvement in the lives of children.
Family-led decision making
In 2013 additional funding was provided to implement family-led decision-making (FLDM) conferences for all children post-substantiation. These conferences mobilise the child's extended family and support networks to plan for the child's safety using the family's strengths and resources. These conferences are critical in building protection for children that ultimately prevents re-substantiation. An evaluation of the FLDM program, which commenced in 2013, will assess the impact of family-led decision-making and provide important information about this approach.
Further conceptual work is required to ensure that robust indicators are developed to measure effective service responses. The process for developing additional indicators involves consultation across government and the community sector and this development will continue over the coming months.
The following may offer options to measure early and effective responses to reports of abuse or neglect.
Early responses
Where a report is made to child protection, the following measures about the speed of response once a report is received are currently used as performance measures:
 proportion of reports classified as requiring an urgent investigation, where the first attempted visit occurs within two days of receiving the report
 proportion of reports requiring an investigation where the first attempted visit occurs within
14 days of receiving the report.
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Effective responses
An effective referral can be one of the following:

An investigation that leads to the lasting protection of the child.

A referral or the provision of advice that prevents future child protection involvement.
There are currently two measures that address this for investigated cases: unsubstantiated investigations where a later report is substantiated; and substantiated investigations that are closed and where a later report is substantiated.
Measures could be developed to track cases that are closed without investigation (differentiating between those that are referred to other services, those where advice is provided and those where no action is taken) to see whether these are reported again at a later date and whether they are investigated and substantiated.
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This goal outlines how government will better meet the needs of children and young people in statutory care, particularly out-of-home care.
When a child or young person is removed from their family, the state takes on a special role in their protection and care, by:
 providing safe, stable and secure environments for children and young people removed from their families
 providing vulnerable children with the support and services they need to overcome the consequences of the abuse and neglect that led to their removal in the first place
 ensuring that children and young people in care get the services they need to improve their chance of achieving the same outcomes as those who have not suffered abuse and neglect
 ensuring that children and young people have the skills and opportunities to live healthy and productive lives.
Over the past few years, the Children’s Court has heard an increasing number of protection applications in the Family Division.
Where children and families need to go to court, it is important that cases are finalised as soon as possible. Delays in the finalisation of cases are not in the best interests of children as they can mean shorter-term orders, and more court hearings, and more disruption for children and their families.
Clearance rates in the Children’s Court in 2011–12
Clearance rate (Family Division)
Baseline
82.5%
Source:
Children’s Court Annual Report 2011–12
<http://www.childrenscourt.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/Annual_Report_2011_2012_0.pdf
>.
The baseline
In 2011 –12, 82.5 per cent of cases lodged with the Family Division of the Children’s Court were finalised. Data published in the Report on Government Services (Chapter 7, attachment table
7A.20) shows the Children’s Court clearance rate as 101.6 per cent. However, this includes
Criminal Division, which experiences lower demand than Family Division. For the purposes of this report, Family Division data is deemed most relevant, and this is presented in Table 15 below.
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The story so far
Clearance and pending rates are both indicators of timeliness (see Table 15 below). Where clearance rates are below 100 per cent, it means that the Children’s Court is finalising fewer cases than are lodged. Lower clearance rates are usually driven by an increase in the number of applications lodged. Table 15 shows that clearance rates have gone from 86.6 per cent in 2009 –
10 to 82.5 per cent in 2011 –12, indicating that the primary applications (Family Division) being finalised are not keeping pace with the growth in applications being initiated. This must be considered in association with increasing numbers of child protection investigations and substantiations (see Table 8), and the increasing number of primary applications initiated, which rose from 3,317 in 2010 –11 to 3,920 in 2011–12.
Pending rates indicate the number of cases which have been initiated and are awaiting resolution. The rates below are for cases which were commenced but are still awaiting resolution between 9 and 12 months later. An increase in pending rates reflects a reduction in timeliness, and accordingly is generally associated with increased delay. In Table 15, 6.8 per cent of matters were pending at 9 –12 months in 2011–12.
Both clearance and pending rates are affected by the increases being experienced by the Family
Division in both primary and secondary applications (for example, extensions of interim orders).
Also shown in Table 15 is the percentage of conferences resulting in settlement, which increased from 31.5 per cent in 2009 –10 to 35.8 per cent in 2011–12.
Table 15: Timeliness indicators for primary applications in the Family Division of the
Victorian Children’s Court, 2009–10 to 2011–12
Clearance rate 72
Matters pending 9<12 months 73
Conferences resulting in settlement 74
2009 –10
86.6%
7.2%
31.5%
2010 –11
83.8%
5.2%
36.0%
Source: Children’s Court Annual Reports, 2009–10; 2010–11; 2011–12 tables 7, 11, 12.
2011 –12
82.5%
6.8%
35.8%
Programs and po licies related to the Children’s Court
Conciliation conferences
New processes in our Children’s Court system include the statewide rollout of ‘conciliation conferences’ as a new form of court-based, alternative dispute resolution. Conciliation conferences were trialled in some regions under the name New Model Conferences.
75 In a conciliation conference, the participants work collaboratively with the assistance of the conference convenor to highlight the strengths within the family. They will also discuss what can be done to build on these strengths in the best interests of the child or children involved to meet the protective concerns. In this way, conciliation conferences seek to reach agreement on issues of dispute to avoid, or limit the scope of any hearing in relation to the protective concerns. This process seeks to optimise participation of significant persons from a child's family in the court process, as a means for promoting the best interests of the child.
72 All matters finalised as a percentage of matters initiated in the relevant year.
73 Number of all primary applications pending on 30 June, by elapsed time since initiation (not first hearing).
74 Some regions only. Note that the ‘conferences’ referred to in Table 15 relate to a model of conferencing that is no longer employed in the Court, as new model conferences (conciliation conferences) are being rolled out.
75 Children’s Court of Victoria 2013, New Model Conferences, viewed September 2013,
< http://www.childrenscourt.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/ccv_files/Guidelines_for_New_Model_Conferences_9_Sept_2013.
pdf >.
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Settlement rates for conciliation conferences are set out in the table above. Increased settlement rates will result in fewer delays. More importantly, successful conferences will result in agreement between participants (families and the Department of Human Services), and a reduction of court heari ngs in what has been described as an ‘unduly adversarial’ system.
New, purpose-built facilities
The Children’s Court recently opened a purpose built Children’s Court Conference Unit in
Melbourne. The Conference Unit has state of the art equipment, conference rooms of various sizes and numerous breakout rooms for lawyers and their clients.
Further conceptual work is required to ensure that robust indicators are developed to measure child-friendly aspects of the statutory system. The process for developing additional indicators involves consultation across government and the community sector and this development will continue over the coming months.
Outcome 3.2 – Children in out-of-home care receive quality care that is culturally appropriate
Children and young people who require out-of-home care come from a range of backgrounds and will have varying experiences of harm and trauma in their lives. Out-of-home care placements vary in duration from overnight to several years, depending upon the individual circumstances of the child or young person.
In recognition of the differing needs of children and young people, a range of placement types have been developed. These include:
 home-based care options such as kinship care, which places the child with their extended family, friends or known social network
 foster care or other placement options which occur within a family environment.
Alternative options include non-home based care such as, residential care, which provides care for a small number of children and young people by paid staff.
Stability of placement is an important indicator of service quality for children and young people in out-of-home care, particularly for those who require long-term placements.
‘Stability of placement’ is defined as the proportion of children and young people who had one or two placements during a period of continuous out-of-home care. A low number of placements
(one or two) per period of care is desirable, but must be balanced against other placement quality indicators, such as placements in compliance with the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle, local placements and placements with siblings.
Children on a care or protection order with 1 or 2 placements in
2011 –12
Exiting care after less than 12 months
Exiting care after 12 months or more
Baseline
88.4%
53.9%
Source: Report on Government Services 2013, Productivity Commission, Chapter 15 Attachment table
15A.25, < http://www.pc.gov.au/gsp/rogs/2013 >.
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The baseline
In 2011 –12, of children and young people who exited care within a year, 88.4 per cent had stable placement (one or two placements). Of children and young people who were in care for a year or more, 53.9 per cent had one or two placements.
The story so far
In Table 16, the proportion of children exiting care with one or two placements has increased for both those exiting care after less than 12 months and those exiting care after 12 months or more.
For those who exited after less than 12 months, the percentage increased by over ten percentage points from 78.1 per cent in 2009 –10 to 88.4 per cent in 2011–12. And for those who exited after
12 months or more, the percentage increased from 49.4 per cent in 2009 –10 to 53.9 in 2011–12.
There are two main factors behind this increase: firstly there was an increase in the number of exits and secondly, the proportion of children in kinship care increased. From 2009 –10 to 2011–
12 the number of children exiting out-of-home care increased by over 100. Most of these children and young people exited care after less than twelve months and had only one or two placements.
This increase in the number of exits is consistent with an increase in the number of children and young people who entered out-of-home care in 2011 –12 compared to 2009–10 and 2010–11.
Secondly, the proportion of children and young people in kinship care has increased from around
40 per cent of the population in 2010 to 45 per cent of the out-of-home care population in 2012
(see Table 17). Kinship care is a relatively more stable care type compared to other care types so an increase in the proportion of children and young people in kinship may have contributed to the improved placement stability of those exiting out-of-home care.
Table 16: Children and young people on a care and protection order and exiting care – proportion with one or two placements, Victoria, 2009 –10 to 2011–12
Exiting care after less than 12 months (percentage with one or two placements)
Exiting care after 12 months or more (percentage with one or two placements)
2009 –10
78.1%
49.4%
2010 –11
75.6%
47.8%
2011 –12
88.4%
53.9%
Source: Report on Government Services 2013, Productivity Commission, Chapter 15. Attachment table
15A.25, < http://www.pc.gov.au/gsp/rogs/2013 >.
Table 17: Proportion of children and young people in out-of-home care that are in kinship care, Victoria, at 30 June for each year, 2010 to 2012
Number in relative/kinship care
Total number in out-of-home care
Proportion in relative/kinship care
2010
2,234
5,469
40.0%
2011
2,096
5,678
42.0%
2012
2,166
6,207
45.6%
Source: Report on Government Services 2013, Productivity Commission, Chapter 15 Attachment table
15A.61, < http://www.pc.gov.au/gsp/rogs/2013 >.
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Programs and policies related to placement stability
In the future, placement stability may continue to improve due to the Stability Planning and
Permanent Care Project 76 which is currently underway. Through its focus on more timely resolution of permanency, including the transitioning of children and young people to permanent care orders, one of the likely outcomes of the project, will be to increase overall placement stability for children and young people in care.
Stability Planning and Permanent Care Project 77
The Report of the Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry (January 2012) found that it takes on average five years to obtain a permanent care order from the point when a child or young person is first reported to child protection. $3 million was committed in the 2012 –2013
Victorian State Budget to employ 24 project workers during 2013 on this research project which was first announced in the government’s May 2012 Directions paper.
In the first stage of the project, project workers located across Victoria reviewed all children under ten years of age who had a permanent care case plan and no permanent care order, and those who had been in out-of-home care for more than a year. For each of these children, the appropriateness of their case plans was reviewed and barriers to permanency identified.
In the second stage of the project, staff (including one based at the Victorian Aboriginal Child
Care Agency) are promoting case planning and casework solutions to the barriers that had been identified.
The project ’s findings will inform potential changes to policy, practice and legislation that will promote more timely permanency resolution in future.
The Aboriginal Child Placement Principle 78 is a nationally agreed standard used in determining the placement of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care. It aims to enhance and preserve
Aboriginal children’s sense of identity through ensuring that strong connections are maintained with family, community and culture.
The Aboriginal Child Placement Principle applies in all cases where a decision is made for an
Aboriginal child to be placed in out-of-home care. The principle specifies the order of priority in which types of placements are to be sought. As a priority, wherever possible, the child must be placed within the Aboriginal extended family or relatives and where this is not possible, other extended family or relatives. If placement with extended family or relatives is not feasible or possible, after consultation with the relevant Aboriginal agency, the child may be placed with:
 an Aboriginal family from the local community and within close geographical proximity to the child’s natural family
 as a last resort the child may be placed with a non-Aboriginal family living in close proximity to the child’s natural family
 any nonAboriginal placement must ensure the maintenance of the child’s culture and identity through contact with the child’s community.
76 Department of Human Services 2013, Stability Planning and Permanent Care Project, viewed August 2013,
< http://www.pcafamilies.org.au/uploaded-files/20130401_Fact-sheet-Stability-planning-and-permanent-careproject_DH_1370398385.pdf
>.
77
Department of Human Services 2013, Stability Planning and Permanent Care Project, viewed August 2013,
< http://www.pcafamilies.org.au/uploaded-files/20130401_Fact-sheet-Stability-planning-and-permanent-careproject_DH_1370398385.pdf
>.
78 Department of Human Services 2002, Aboriginal Child Placement Principle, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne.
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Therefore, you can comply with the principle even if placement with a non-Aboriginal family eventuates.
Child protection standards require that case managers prepare and implement a cultural support plan, in consultation with a relevant Aboriginal organisation, for each Aboriginal child placed in out of-home care. The cultural plan is aimed at maintenance of a child or young person’s connections to their family.
Child protection is required to consult with an Aboriginal Child Specialist Advice and Support
Service about all reports (including child wellbeing reports) regarding Aboriginal children, and also regarding significant decisions in all phases of child protection intervention, including when making a decision to place an Aboriginal child or young person in out-of-home care.
A high or increasing proportion of children placed in accordance with the principle is desirable as well as other principles governing safe and effective placements. This data reports the placement outcomes of Aboriginal children rather than compliance with the principle.
Proportion of Aboriginal children placed with relatives/kin, other
Aboriginal carers or in Aboriginal residential care in 2012
Percentage of Aboriginal children placed with relatives/kin, other
Aboriginal carers or in Aboriginal residential care
Baseline
56.3%
Source: Report on Government Services 2013, Productivity Commission, Chapter 15 Attachment table
15A.23, < http://www.pc.gov.au/gsp/rogs/2013 >.
The baseline
At 30 June 2012, there were 56.3 per cent of Aboriginal children placed with relatives or kin, other
Aboriginal carers or in Aboriginal residential care.
The story so far
The percentage of Aboriginal children in care who are placed with relatives or kin, other
Aboriginal carers or in Aboriginal residential care has declined slightly across Victoria, from 58.4 per cent (2010) to 56.3 per cent (2012). The percentage of Aboriginal children in care who are placed with relatives or kin, other Aboriginal carers or in Aboriginal residential care has declined slightly across Victoria, from 58.4 per cent (2010) to 56.3 per cent (2012).
In 2010, there were 475 Aboriginal children placed with relatives or in other Aboriginal placements and 339 Aboriginal children other non-Aboriginal placements. By 2012, those numbers had grown to 578 and 449 Aboriginal children respectively. While both cohorts experienced similar growth in the number of children (both experienced growth of about 100 children), Aboriginal children in non-Aboriginal placements had a higher percentage growth rate
(due to the smaller starting population). This higher percentage growth rate resulted in the decline in the proportion of Aboriginal children placed with relative/kin or in another Aboriginal placement between 2010 and 2012.
Table 18: Percentage of Aboriginal children placed with relatives/kin, other Aboriginal carers or in Aboriginal residential care, Victoria, as at 30 June each year, 2010 –2012
Percentage of Aboriginal children placed with relatives/kin, other
Aboriginal carers or in Aboriginal residential care
2010 2011 2012
58.4% 57.5% 56.3%
Source: Report on Government Services 2013, Productivity Commission, Chapter 15. Attachment table
15A.23, < http://www.pc.gov.au/gsp/rogs/2013 >.
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Programs and policies related to the placement of Aboriginal Children
The Family Led Decision-Making Program has been developed to implement the Victorian
Government ’s commitment to strengthen and expand the use of family group conferencing and
Aboriginal Family Led Decision-Making across Victoria, as set out in Victoria ’s Vulnerable
Children – Our Shared Responsibility Directions Paper.
79 Family Led Decision-Making is a collaborative process, which involves active participation of family, extended family and community members in decision-making about safety, stability and development of an Aboriginal child. The model utilises traditional Aboriginal approaches to solving family problems and involves
Aboriginal elders and the extended family. The Family Led Decision-Making approach is initiated where:
 protective concerns have been substantiated (except where the matter is proceeding to court)
 a protection order is in place and a meeting is required as part of the usual case planning process.
The Department of Human Services funds Aboriginal community controlled organisations to provide a suite of support services for Aboriginal children/young people and their families. The range of services funded varies across different organisations. Some organisations are funded to provide kinship services, foster care and residential care.
In March 2012, additional funding was allocated to Aboriginal community controlled organisations to strengthen responses to Aboriginal children and families through the Aboriginal Therapeutic
Home Based Care Program. The overall objective of the program is to deliver trauma-informed therapeutic responses to children and young people in foster and kinship care through the engagement of locally based therapeutic clinicians appointed or contracted by Aboriginal community controlled organisations. Local clinicians are supported in their role by a statewide therapeutic clinician whose role it is to provide training, consultation, support, professional development and reflective practice.
In the 2012 –13 Victorian State Budget, $29.6 million was allocated over four years for the continuation and expansion of therapeutic residential care. This provided ongoing funding for the therapeutic residential care pilots (40 placements) and for the expansion of therapeutic residential care by an additional 100 placements across Victoria. In terms of new services to Aboriginal community controlled organisations, additional targets/funding have been provided to Victorian
Aboriginal Child Care Agency and Mildura Aboriginal Co-operative (now known as MDAS).
Implementing the authorisation of Aboriginal agencies to take on the role of the department with respect to Aboriginal children subject to protection orders is currently being explored through a pilot project. The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency is working with a small number of children they are already contracted to case manage as if they had been authorised, with the support of the Department of Human Services central program design team and the relevant child protection division.
79 Victorian Government 2012, Victoria’s Vulnerable Children - Our Shared Responsibility Directions Paper, May 2012,
State Government of Victoria, Melbourne.
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80
Further conceptual work is required to ensure that robust indicators are derived to measure quality out-of-home care provision. The process for developing additional indicators involves consultation across government and the community sector and this development will continue over the coming months.
The Victorian Government will be represented on a working group to inform the development of indicators that form part of the National Standards for Out-of-Home Care 2009 –2020 .
Literacy and numeracy skills are essential not only for performance at school but also in enabling skills for future work and day-to-day life. The National Assessment Program for Literacy and
Numeracy, which began in 2008, tests students’ ability against the curriculum in the domains of reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.
Performance against each National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy domain is measured across ten achievement bands — six bands for each year level tested (Years 3, 5, 7,
9). Year 3 spans bands 1 to 6 and Year 9 spans bands 5 to 10.
Current research indicates that children and young people in out-of-home care often have lower levels of educational achievement than the general student population. The Victorian Government recognises that children and young people who are in out-of-home care require intensive targeted support to improve their educational progress and achievement.
The baseline measures shown below are derived from preliminary data analyses and may be revised due to improvements in data quality.
Children in out-of-home care achieving at, or above, national minimum standard in 2012
Baseline
Proportion of children in out-of-home care achieving at or above the national minimum standard for reading, Victoria
Year 3
Year 5
Year 7
Year 9
90%
78%
92%
77%
Proportion of children in out-of-home care achieving at or above the national minimum standard for numeracy, Victoria
Year 3
Year 5
Year 7
Year 9
95%
82%
89%
82%
Source: Department of Education and Early Childhood Development analysis of NAPLAN results for children in out-of-home care, data not previously published.
80 Department of Social Services 2011, National Standards for out-of-home care 2009-2020 , Commonwealth Government ,
Canberra, < http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/families-and-children/publications-articles/an-outline-of-nationalstandards-for-out-of-home-care-2011 >.
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The baseline
In 2012, 90 per cent of children in out-of-home care achieved at or above national minimum standard in reading at Year 3 (government schools only). The proportion achieving at or above national minimum standard was much lower for Year 5 and Year 9 in 2012 (78 per cent and 77 per cent respectively). Ninety two per cent of Year 7 students who were in out-of-home care achieved at or above national minimum standard in reading.
For numeracy, in 2012, higher proportions of children in out-of-home care achieved at or above national minimum standard at Year 3, 5 and 9, compared to reading. Ninety five per cent of Year
3 students achieved at or above national minimum standard; this reduced to 82 per cent for Years
5 and 9. 89 per cent of Year 7 students who were in out-of-home care achieved at or above national minimum standard in numeracy.
The story so far
Data for 2004, 2005 and 2006 is the most recent published in the 2013 Report on Government
Services. To report more recent data, Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development school data has been used to report National Assessment Program for Literacy and
Numeracy results for children identified as being in out-of-home care. This can only be done for government schools and there may be some children in out-of-home care that are not captured as such in school enrolment for a variety of reasons.
Previous research by Department of Education and Early Childhood Development indicates that the number of students in out-of-home care is under-counted. A project is underway to further investigate how children in out-of-home care are captured in school enrolment systems. As this project aims to improve the quality and accuracy of information in enrolment systems for children in out-of-home care, future measurement of the proportions in Tables 19 and 20 may result in a break in the series used.
The data below is presented as an interim measure until data is made publicly available as part of the commitment under the National Standards for out-of-home care 2009 – 2020 (standard #6, page 10) 81 .
Table 19: Government schools only – Proportion of children in out-of-home care (OOHC) achieving at or above the national minimum standard for reading, Victoria 82 , 2010 to 2012, compared to State results
Year level
Year 3
Year 5
Year 7
Year 9
2010
OOHC
93%
82%
93%
84%
2010
State
97%
94%
96%
92%
2011
OOHC
92%
93%
94%
88%
2011
State
97%
95%
97%
94%
2012
OOHC
90%
78%
92%
77%
2012
State
97%
94%
95%
92%
Source: DEECD analysis of NAPLAN results for children in out-of-home care, with similar method applied to all children in government schools, data not previously published.
81 Department of Social Services 2011, National Standards for out-of-home care 2009-2020 , Commonwealth
Government, Canberra, < http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/families-and-children/publications-articles/an-outlineof-national-standards-for-out-of-home-care-2011 >.
82 These percentages have been calculated using those who scored in everything but the ‘bottom’ band, as per the definition of ‘at or above national minimum standard’. National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy data published elsewhere includes those who are exempt from National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy in the denominator. However, data presented in this report only count those who sat the National Assessment Program –
Literacy and Numeracy test and achieved a score; therefore these State percentages may differ from data published elsewhere and percentages ‘at or above national minimum standard’ may be overstated for both cohorts using this methodology. At present, it is difficult to quantify the categories of exempt/absent/withdrawn for the out-of-home care cohort but data may be refined in subsequent reports.
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Table 20: Government schools only – Proportion of children in out-of-home care (OOHC) achieving at or above the national minimum standard for numeracy, Victoria 20 , 2010 to
2012, compared to State results
Year level
Year 3
Year 5
Year 7
Year 9
2010
OOHC
96%
89%
92%
87%
2010
State
98%
98%
97%
95%
2011
OOHC
94%
99%
91%
84%
2011
State
98%
97%
97%
96%
2012
OOHC
95%
82%
89%
84%
2012
State
98%
96%
96%
96%
Source: DEECD analysis of NAPLAN results for children in out-of-home care, with similar method applied to all children in government schools, data not previously published.
The student population used to calculate the achievement for students in out-of-home care is relatively small, with numbers at each year level fluctuating from 92 to 197. As a result, the proportions that achieve at or above national minimum standard can be volatile, particularly compared to the state results which are relatively consistent from year to year.
It is expected that these figures will show significant variation from year to year until data collection stabilises.
Programs and policies related to children in out-of-home care
The Out-of-Home Care Partnering Agreement 83 (the Partnering Agreement) was released in
November 2011, building on an earlier agreement between the Department of Human Services
(DHS) and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD). The
Partnering Agreement is a commitment between DHS, DEECD and the Catholic and independent school sectors to provide increased levels of support and responsiveness to the educational needs of children and young people in out-of-home care.
A key feature of the Partnering Agreement is the Education Support Guarantee, which was established to provide an increased level of support and responsiveness to the educational needs of children and young people in out-of-home care.
There has been ongoing consultation with DHS across DEECD, and other key stakeholders in developing the Partnering Agreement, developing resources to assist schools to meet their obligations under the Agreement, and in improving outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care. DEECD is working to ensure that schools are aware of their obligations as outlined in the Education Support Guarantee for children and young people in out-of-home care, which includes:
 allocating a teacher or staff member as a learning mentor to each child or young person in out-of-home care enrolled in a school
 prioritising referrals for children and young people in out-of-home care to the school support services officers for education related health and wellbeing services to ensure that these services are highly accessible and responsive to the needs of this group
 an Educational Needs Assessment for every student who has resided in out-of-home care for a period of three months or longer to identify their individual learning needs and to inform their Individual Education Plan
83 Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 2011, Out-of-Home Care Partnering Agreement ,
< https://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/stuman/wellbeing/A4_partnering.pdf
>.
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 a guarantee of Post-Annual Round consideration for the Program for Students with
Disabilities.
DEECD provides a range of supports to assist schools to implement the Partnering Agreement, including:

Guidelines for student support services officers to conduct Educational Needs Assessments for all children and young people who have been in out-of-home care for three or more months.

A contract with Lewis & Lewis Psychological Consultancy Services to provide educational needs assessments to children and young people who have been placed in residential care for more than three months (currently approximately 550 students). As at 7 August 2013, 40 had been completed and 45 educational needs assessments were in progress.

Training sessions for learning mentors were delivered by Berry Street to assist schools to meet their commitment to provide a learning mentor for every child and young person in outof-home care. Sessions ran regionally throughout 2012, with an overall attendance of 200. In
July 2013, a centrally run session was recorded and will be packaged into an online resource.

A circular outlining school responsibilities under the Out-of-Home Care Education
Commitment was sent out to all principals in July 2013 — detailing the obligations of schools for students in out-of-home care.
Five year plan for out-of-home care
A five year plan for children and young people in out-of-home care is being developed will be released in early 2014. The plan will examine how outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care can be improved and also how we might reduce growth in placement numbers in the long-term.
Further conceptual work is required to ensure that robust indicators are developed to measure quality out-of-home care provision. The process for developing additional indicators involves consultation across government and the community sector and this development will continue over the coming months.
The Victorian Government will be represented on a working group to inform the development of indicators that form part of the National Standards for Out-of-Home care 2009 –2020 .
84
84 Department of Social Services 2011, National Standards for out-of-home care 2009-2020 , Commonwealth
Government, < http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/families-and-children/publications-articles/an-outline-of-nationalstandards-for-out-of-home-care-2011>.
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Completing Year 12 or an equivalent qualification, such as an apprenticeship or traineeship, has been shown to reduce the probability of unemployment, to increase workforce participation and to increase wages throughout life. It is seen as the basic building block for future success.
Assessing the attainment of young people in out-of-home care can be difficult, however, the introduction of the Victorian Student Number will allow the Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development to more accurately identify this cohort and track their pathways through school and the vocational education and training sector.
This data is not currently publicly available, however it will be reported in the National Standards for Out-of-Home Care 2009 –2020 (standard number 7).
85
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development exit destination data collection recorded by schools on CASES21 (government school enrolment system), provides some insight into the attainment of young people in out-of-home care. While preliminary data is provided below, the baseline measure is yet to be defined, and the figures may be revised once the indicator measure is better defined.
Baseline Young people in out-of-home care completing year 10 and/or 12 equivalent
Baseline to be determined
The story so far
Data from 2011 indicates that of those children in out-of-home care who left their current government school in 2011, 66.5 per cent continued in education or training, contrasted with 77.7 per cent of all students who left their current government school. There was also a higher per centage of ‘unknown’ destinations recorded against the out-of-home care cohort.
86
As described under Indicator 3.3a (page 55), the accurate identification of students who are in out-of-home care, and the transience of this population (between out-of-home care and residing with their families), makes it difficult to report data against this indicator.
Nationally it is recognised that there needs to be a strengthened approach to reporting on outcomes for children and young people leaving care. Under the National Framework for
P rotecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020 , Australian governments have committed to implementing National Standards for Out-of-Home Care (the National Standards). The National
Standards relate to areas affecting the outcomes and experiences of children in out-of-home care including health, education, case planning, connection to family, transitioning from care, training and support for carers, belonging and identity, and stability and safety.
87
85 Department of Social Services 2011, National Standards for out-of-home care 2009-2020 , Commonwealth Government
, < http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/families-and-children/publications-articles/an-outline-of-national-standardsfor-out-of-home-care-2011 >.
86 Department of Education and Early Childhood Development exit destination data, not previously published.
87 Report on Government Services 2013 , Productivity Commission, Chapter 15.
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Victorian Government services to assist young people leaving care
In Victoria, the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 (Section 16) establishes a requirement for young people under the age of 21 who were subject to custody or guardianship orders on their sixteenth birthday to be provided with services to support them to make the transition to independent living.
Every year approximately 400 young people aged 16 to 18 have their Victorian custody or guardianship court orders cease for the last time. This includes young people who have been in foster care, residential care or living with their relatives or siblings (kinship care).
There are services across the state to help and support young people left out-of-home care in
Victoria, including:
 the provision of information about available resources and services
 financial assistance
 assistance in obtaining accommodation or setting up a residence
 assistance with education and training
 assistance with finding employment
 assistance in obtaining legal advice
 assistance in gaining access to health and community services
 counselling and support.
Leaving Care Services available
A range of services are funded to meet the needs of young people transitioning from care:

Post-Care Support Information and Referral Services – assists care leavers aged 16–21 years who require support in transitioning to independence. Young people receive support from a case worker as well as access to brokerage money for items such as accommodation, recreation, education and health. < http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/forindividuals/children,-families-and-youngpeople/careleavers/young-care-leavers or ring the
Leaving Care Help Line>

Leaving Care Mentoring Program – aims to provide young people transitioning from care with the opportunities to interact with adults in community settings and to promote personal relationships that mitigate against social isolation by the friendship continuing after the young person has left care. < http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/for-individuals/children,-families-andyoungpeople/careleavers/young-care-leavers or ring the Leaving Care Help Line>

Transitioning from Out-of-Home care: Support for Aboriginal young people – this program is provided by Aboriginal community controlled organisations to provide support services for eligible Aboriginal young people who are either transitioning from care, including kinship care, or who are living independently in the community and require support. More information may be found at
< http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/word_doc/0007/725578/Aboriginalleaving-caremodel-2012.doc>
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
Young People Leaving Care Housing and Support Initiative – Department of Human
Services housing program that provides support for young people transitioning from out-ofhome care who are at risk of homelessness, with nomination rights to a limited number of transitional housing places. The target group is young people on custody or guardianship orders in out-of-home care at risk of homelessness at cessation of their orders. Service support provides limited access to alternative housing and support, ability to live in supported accommodation, limited community connections, assessed as able to live independently within two years.

Springboard Program – an intensive education and employment support for young people leaving care and provides intensive one-on-one support to young people who are disengaged from education, training or employment. < http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/aboutthedepartment/plans,-programs-and-projects/programs/youthspecific/springboardintensiveeducation-and-employment>

Zero tuition fees for accredited training – a Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development initiative providing free tuition for accredited training courses from Certificate 1 to Diploma level for young Victorians who are currently subject to custody or guardianship orders and living in out-of-home care, and those who have left care up to 22 years of age.
Young people will need to meet the Victorian Training Guarantee eligibility criteria in addition to current or previous custody or guardianship orders. Non-tuition fees that are charged by training providers will still need to be paid.
< http://www.education.vic.gov.au/training/learners/vet/pages/feeexemptions.aspx>
Further conceptual work is required to ensure that robust indicators are developed to measure quality out-of-home care provision. The process for developing additional indicators involves consultation across government and the community sector and this development will continue over the coming months.
The Victorian Government will be represented on a working group to inform the development of indicators that form part of the National Standards for Out-of-Home Care 2009 –2020 .
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Annual performance reports will be released each year for the life of the Victoria’s Vulnerable
Children – Our Shared Responsibility Strategy 2013 – 2022, measuring the effectiveness of the
Strategy to improve the life outcomes of vulnerable children and young people against the strategy’s goals performance indicators.
In 2014, additional indicators will be developed, as detailed in the strategy’s performance framework in consultation across government and the community sector. These indicators will provide a more detailed understanding of how vulnerable children, young people and their families are faring.
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