Protecting our most vulnerable children

Protecting our most vulnerable children

AS a nation, it is time we harnessed the determination and generosity embodied in the Anzac spirit to overcome one of our most intractable problems - child protection. The shameful figures speak for themselves. Last year, 58,563 incidences of child neglect and physical, sexual and emotional abuse were substantiated across Australia. This was more than twice the number in 2000. The number of children in out-of-home care has doubled to 28,441 since 1996. Two-thirds of them are younger than 10, with the biggest group four and younger. Sadly, such problems tend to carry into adult life, sometimes even setting up intergenerational cycles of abuse.
In light of the states' repeated failures to come to grips with the issue, The Weekend Australian welcomes the Rudd Government's move to take a lead. The aims are earlier intervention and prevention, and they make sense.