In the wake of yet another tragic loss, the question of child protection in Australia demands urgent attention. The story of a four-year-old boy from the New South Wales Central Coast, allegedly murdered by his mother, is a stark reminder of the failures within our child protection system. This incident, while devastating, is not an isolated case. It is a symptom of a deeper, systemic issue that has been allowed to fester for far too long.
As a childhood abuse survivor, I find myself deeply affected by these events. Growing up in New Zealand, I had my first psychology appointment at just two years old after my mother attempted to take my life. Despite repeated reports and my own desperate pleas to be removed from her care, I remained in that abusive environment until I left home at 15. The system failed me, and countless other children, by turning a blind eye to the dangers I faced.
The numbers are staggering. In 2024, an independent report revealed that in NSW alone, around 75% of children presumed to be at risk of significant harm had their cases closed without receiving an in-home safety assessment. This equates to over 80,000 children whose cases were dismissed before any action was taken. The child protection system, as it stands, is inefficient, ineffective, and unsustainable. It is a system that has failed to protect the very children it is tasked with safeguarding.
The consequences of this failure are far-reaching. Rates of violent crime, family violence, addiction, homelessness, and severe mental health issues are all linked to unresolved childhood trauma. My own experience is a testament to this. Despite leaving home at 15, I struggled for the next 15 years, destroying my life and the lives of those around me. I wonder how different my journey could have been had I been protected during my childhood.
The question we must ask is: how do we change this system? The answer lies in holding the child protection system accountable for its repeated and systemic failures. Every child protection decision should be measured against a simple benchmark: what would an ideal parent do? If an ideal parent would not leave a child in a dangerous situation, then neither should the system. The child must always come before policy, process, budgets, and bureaucracy.
The child protection system has been entrusted with the stewardship of thousands of vulnerable children. Stewardship carries responsibility, and responsibility without accountability is not protection. Reviews and inquiries are necessary, but they cannot replace genuine accountability. If the same failures continue to produce the same devastating outcomes, then the system itself must answer for those outcomes. We cannot continue to recognize and document danger while leaving children in harm's way.
Until this changes, nothing will improve. More children will suffer, and Australia will continue to pay a heavy price in terms of trauma, crime, family violence, addiction, homelessness, and mental health issues. Our children deserve better, and our nation deserves better. Every child deserves to know that their life matters, and that they are not alone in their struggles. It is time for a systemic overhaul, one that prioritizes the protection and well-being of our most vulnerable citizens.
