The ACT Greens believe:
1. families are essential to the wellbeing and strength of our community
2. supportive family relationships enhance individual wellbeing and resilience
3. children and young people deserve the best possible start in life, including family relationships that are nurturing and free from abuse, violence and neglect
4. public investment in quality health, education and family support services, particularly in the early years (0 to 8 years), is a sound investment in the future
5. parents deserve choice and support to balance their family commitments with their involvement in the workforce and community life
6. some families are vulnerable, and may require support or intervention to protect children and young people or reduce the risk of harm
7. children deprived of their family, or unable, for their best interests, to stay in that family, are entitled to care and protection under government supervision, with respect for their individual rights, needs, religion, culture and language
8. children and young people who do not live with both of their parents have the right to know, and maintain meaningful relationships with, their non-resident parent(s) and extended family, where this is practicable and safe.

The ACT Greens want:
1. consultation with families, children and young people to identify their needs and inform the development of services and supports available to them
2. increased investment from both the ACT Government and the Australian Government in family support services, including intensive and coordinated support to vulnerable families
3. the introduction and expansion of family-friendly work policies, including maternity and parental leave and flexible working arrangements
4. adequate and appropriate interventions to ensure the safety of children and young people and prevent and respond to the serious issues of child abuse, neglect and domestic or family violence
5. effective, safe and high-quality services for ACT families, children and young people.

The ACT Greens support:
1. working with local community groups to engage families, children and young people in the evaluation and development of ACT Government policy and all relevant service delivery
2. increasing effective family support programs in the ACT, including:
2.1. programs that provide information, advice and counselling to parents and carers
2.2. peer support and empowerment programs such as playgroups
2.3. more child and family centres
2.4. targeted programs for families needing additional support
2.5. intensive, coordinated interventions for vulnerable families in which children and young people may be at risk
2.6. strategies for the specific needs of separated families, sole parent families, step and blended families, families with same-sex parents and families in which children are cared for by grandparents or extended family members
3. enhancing the ACT child protection system through ongoing review and the implementation of recommendations from the Commissioner for Public Administration  and Commissioner for Children and Young People
4. recognising the important role of foster carers in the child protection service system through:
4.1. developing and delivering competency-based programs for foster carers
4.2. reviewing foster care payments to ensure they are relative to actual costs incurred
4.3. parity in financial entitlements for kinship carers in child protection intervention arrangements
5. setting clear targets for improving outcomes for young people making the transition from out-of-home care to independent living
6. cooperating with the Australian Government to continually enhance the availability of a mix of adequate and affordable high-quality early education and child care services for ACT families, including through:
6.1. initiatives to support social inclusion and culturally appropriate care
6.2. local initiatives to improve working conditions, remuneration, training, and career opportunities for childcare workers
6.3. regularly reviewing the ACT Child Care Regulations against research evidence relating to best practice and safety
6.4. robust monitoring of child care services against the regulations
6.5. ensuring that all children have access to quality preschool education delivered by qualified early childhood teachers in the year before beginning school
6.6. increased capital investment in community child care facilities
7. measures to prevent and respond to family violence, including:
7.1. maintaining and enhancing the ACT Family Violence Intervention Program
7.2. partnership with the Australian Government to increase access to supported accommodation and related services
7.3. adequate resourcing of services to assist those who have experienced violence, abuse or neglect within family relationships
7.4. investment in effective perpetrator rehabilitation programs
8. reviewing the effectiveness of the ACT’s Child Sex Offender Register, with consideration given to increased perpetrator interventions and protections for children living with, or in regular contact with offenders
9. local and national initiatives that assist parents to balance work and family commitments, including:
9.1. paid parental leave
9.2. extended unpaid parental leave
9.3. carers leave
9.4. options for career breaks and gradual return to work without loss of occupational status
9.5. improved conditions for part-time and casual employees
9.6. reduced or compressed working hours
9.7. increased workplace flexibility.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 30th, 2008 at 12:07 am and is filed under Policy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.