A Guide to the South Australian Child Protection System

Australia has very strict laws when it comes to keeping children safe, even if this means keeping them safe from their own parents.  Whenever children are deemed at risk they can and will be removed from their families. However, in South Australia special provisions are in place to make sure that, if removed from their families, Aboriginal children will be cared for in a community that allows them to respect their traditional way of life and values.

Reasons children can be removed from their family home

In most cases, child protection services intervene once they receive a complaint regarding the safety of the children in a certain family. If they receive information a child is in serious and immediate danger, they will act right away, even if this means forcing their way into a house.

However, in most cases, Families SA will do a thorough investigation before making a decision to take children away from their parents.

Let’s see what social workers will want to look at:

• Is the child subjected to violence, is there even a hint of sexual abuse?
• Is the child properly cared for, as in having enough food and a clean place to live in?
• Is the child loved and protected?
• Has the child access to education?

Parents are encouraged to cooperate fully with Families SA

Finding yourself under investigation is a very stressful situation, but parents need to understand that such legislation was passed to protect children from harm. If you can prove your child is well cared for and safe, you have no reason to worry.

The most important thing is to keep calm and cooperate with the social workers investigating your case. Don’t let stress affect your judgment. Being rude or violent towards Families SA employees will look very bad on your case file.

Families SA has the power to dig through a parent’s criminal record through items like sapol police checks obtained from South Australian police authorities (with the applicants informed consent) to look for convictions, such as violence and sexual abuse. Drug use is also a big problem, since addicts cannot be trusted to take care of their children 24/7.

If you have such convictions on your record, be prepared to explain what happened and how you’ve changed your life after being released from prison. If there’s any suspicion of continuous drug use, you might be required to submit to unscheduled drug tests. 

Once you find yourself under investigation, you should immediately seek legal advice. Do not offer any statement without first consulting a lawyer.

As far as Aboriginal families are concerned, social workers are required to consult an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation before removing a child. The preferred option is to place the child with the extended family whenever possible. If they are to go to a carer, Families SA needs to ascertain this person can provide an adequate environment so the child can be raised in a culturally appropriate way. 

What to do if children are removed from your family

Families SA doesn’t make the decision to remove children from their home environment lightly. In many cases, children will be removed from their parents on a temporary basis. The parents will be given specific tasks, such as finding a job, moving to an adequate home or going to counseling sessions, before they can have their children back.

If you want to see your children back, you need to make sure you accomplish all the tasks you’ve been set.