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February 18, 2005
Child abuse allegations skyrocket in ACT
February 18, 2005
Australia/New Zealand - The ACT Youth and Family Services Minister, Katy Gallagher, says she is extremely concerned about a near doubling of allegations of child abuse in the current financial year.
Reports are expected to reach 8,000 - around 20 calls a day.
Reports are expected to reach 8,000 - around 20 calls a day.
Ms Gallagher says the increased pressure has prevented child protection workers implementing recommendations from the Vardon report, aimed at prevention.
She says this may be helped when 30 additional workers from overseas arrive in the next couple of months.
But Ms Gallagher says the team is being kept busy with up to 650 calls a month, leaving little time to work on other areas.
"Ninety per cent of our energy is focused on the statutory end and we're not doing as much in the early intervention and prevention side as I would like," she said.
"I guess that's the aim of this reform program - to turn it around from the statutory end to the prevention side.
"But whilst these numbers continue to increase, we are not in a position to do that."
Ms Gallagher says a worrying aspect of the figures is the number of cases being substantiated.
Posted by Nancy at February 18, 2005 11:46 PM