More children will find permanent homes sooner thanks to a special taskforce promoting guardianship for children in out-of-home care.
The establishment of the Guardianship Taskforce follows the NSW Government’s recent announcement of landmark reforms to the child protection system to streamline court processes for guardianship and open adoption.
The changes put the rights of children first and will ensure they find permanent homes more quickly with two years to make a decision on care. More efforts will also be put into enabling families to stay together through evidence-based programs.
Minister for Family and Community Services Pru Goward said the Guardianship Taskforce is reviewing the cases of more than 7500 children in out-of-home care to see who can benefit from guardianship.
“We know that children in out-of-home care need safety, security and permanency – they need a forever home. Guardianship orders can be a great way to achieve this,” Ms Goward said.
“An order of guardianship is an important moment in a child’s life because the child is no longer considered to be in out-of-home care but in the independent care of their guardian.”