CREATE Foundation is calling for children and young people with lived experience to be front and centre in Queensland’s Child Safety Commission of Inquiry.
The 12,700 children currently in care and those before themknow best what it is like to grow up in care in Queensland and what needs to change.
Through submissions to the Inquiry as well as social media and media engagement, CREATE is supporting lived experience experts to be heard in the Inquiry.
CREATE has established the following advocacy priorities for the QLD Inquiry.
Reduce Reliance on Residential Care
As long as kids are living in residential care, make it safer, use therapeutic and relational models, and address workforce issues.
Reduce the Number of Children Entering Care and Staying in Care
Invest in early intervention and family preservation. Prevent and target family violence.
Take Meaningful Steps towards Aboriginal Self-Determination
And closing the gap in over-representation through First Nations-led approaches to raising First Nations kids.
Stop Criminalising Children and Address Unmet Needs and Disadvantage
Locking up children is unsafe and sets them up for cycles of trauma and re-offending.
If you want to share your story and information with the Commission, you can do this in a few different ways as outlined on the Child Safety Inquiry website.
clubCREATE members in Queensland have been speaking up to have their voice heard by the Commission. Head over to our YouTube Channel to watch our miniseries #OurVoiceInTheInquiry and watch Nellie how to make a submission to the Inquiry.
Participating through CREATE could look like:
coming together at Youth Advisory Groups (YAGs) to talk about your experience — Insights from YAGs inform our submissions to the Inquiry
being in a video for CREATE’s social media
or speaking to the media about your experiences.
If you would like to share your experience as part of the Inquiry, express your interest here and CREATE will contact you as opportunities come up.
