Policy Forum Pod

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