MEDIA RELEASE: SA Coroner recommendations prove child protection policy due for a change

The recommendations of the SA Coroner, particularly concerning the need to increase the use of adoption, are very welcome, says child protection researcher Dr Jeremy Sammut.

The Centre for Independent Studies Research Fellow, whose work was quoted in the SA Coroner’s report into the death of Chloe Valentine, says child protection policy is long overdue for a change.

“The coroner’s findings confirm what my research has shown: that the most vulnerable children in the community are hiding in plain sight of child protection authorities who are reluctant to take action to save them,” Dr Sammut says.

“The South Australian government should emulate the permanency planning and adoption reforms introduced by the NSW government in 2012.

“These new laws are designed to ensure that realistic decisions are made about when it’s safe — and when it’s not — for children to remain with their parents

“However, as the coroner has shown, the real challenge is to change the culture within departments like Families SA that are wedded to the family perseveration ideology that says the children are better off staying with the parents even when those parents are clearly abusive and neglectful

“Chloe’s name is now added to the list of child deaths alongside Ebony, Dean and others tragically too numerous to mention.

“I hope this is the final wake-up call that governments need Australia-wide to implement long-overdue change.”