Creating communities for children

This National Child Protection Week we ask the question: What part can we as individuals play in protecting children and creating a culture of care?

The theme for this year’s National Child Protection Week is ‘Where we start matters’ building on the essence that ‘every child in every community needs a fair go’. In this episode, we speak to researcher Tim Moore, and NAPCAN Deputy-CEO Rani Kumar about what needs to happen, not just this week, but every day of the year.

They discuss the structural problems that need to be addressed in the policy sphere to protect all children, including poverty. Stressors need to be taken off families to help prevent abuse and neglect.

Rani Kumar says we need to reframe the conversation to remove shame from parents who are seeking support. The questions being asked need to change from focusing on the parents, and society as a whole. For instance, why is society not providing families the support and safety nets and why as a community do we think it is okay for a child to live in this situation?

Sharon raises the importance of having conversations with children and listening to children in all stages of policymaking, rather than just a one-off consultation and assuming we then understand the complexity of children’s lives. Tim Moore says that children’s opinions and views need to be taken more seriously as they bring a lot of value to society.

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Tim Moore is an Associate Professor and Deputy Director at the Institute of Child Protection Studies at The Australian Catholic University, where he leads the Institute’s work to strengthen services and systems and make them more responsive to children and young people. Tim is an internationally recognised child and youth researcher and children's rights advocate. He has provided advice to several inquiries and Commissions, including the national Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Rani Kumar is the Deputy CEO of the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and was previously the head of policy, research and campaign strategy. NAPCAN has been running National Child Protection Week for the past 30 years. Rani has worked as an early education policy officer with UNICEF in Bangladesh, and in the UK as a social policy officer with Catch 22, an organisation that supports young people leaving out-of-home care.

Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy.

Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, a physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.

You can find full show notes on the Crawford School of Public Policy LinkedIn account.

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