With the release of the Child Safety Commission of Inquiry’s report, CREATE Foundation acknowledges and thanks the children, young people and adults with lived experience who powerfully shared their stories and expertise with the Commission. 

We recognise that speaking up about personal experiences to help improve the system for future generations can come at a significant personal cost. There's a real mental and emotional load, and it has to be worth it.

The Government must act on what young people have told the Inquiry and not allow this report to become another missed opportunity for change. It's imperative that Government keeps listening to what children and young people are telling us.

CREATE will continue reviewing the report and closely monitoring the implementation of its recommendations.

CREATE stands ready to support the implementation of recommendations that meaningfully improve experiences and outcomes for kids, and CREATE is here to help ensure that young people’s voices remain at the centre of reform.

Young people with care experience have been clear about what matters: safety, connection, stability and being heard. Their voices must continue to guide the next phase of reform to Queensland's child protection system.

Read about CREATE's key priorities following the Queensland Government's response to the Child Safety Commission of Inquiry:

Prevention 

CREATE Foundation is pleased to see the acceptance of recommendations which address the proximate causes of harm to children, as well as those focused on early intervention and family preservation.

CREATE also strongly supports ATSICCOs having adequately resourced and clearly defined roles in family support services and intervention, along with genuine authority and responsibility.

While we welcome the Government's commitment to prevention, we await further detail on the specific reforms and practical measures that will help reduce the need for statutory intervention and support children to remain safely at home. 

Placements

Young people have told us that the care system feels like a collection of disconnected placements and people, rather than a system built around them and their support needs.

CREATE welcomes the move towards an integrated out-of-home care system. We hope to see shared principles of safety, relational continuity, and pathway planning centered around young people’s voices embedded across all care types. 

The advancement of secure care has raised concerns among our members, who question the therapeutic integrity of the environment. CREATE calls for deep consultation with young people with lived experience prior to development of legislation or design of a secure care facility. 

Permanency 

Young people we have spoken to want stability and relational safety in their placements, while being supported to maintain strong ties to family and culture. CREATE supports a feasibility study on simple adoption, however we hold concerns regarding the acceptance of recommendations which seek to amend the permanency hierarchy for all children.

Any permanency framework must operate with full ATSICPP protections for First Nations children, and amendments must not result in reduction of genuine and supported reunification attempts.

CREATE urges the government to commit to extensive consultation with First Nations Peak Bodies and communities before finalising any changes.

CREATE established the following advocacy priorities for the QLD Inquiry.