Supporting infant and parent attachment for children at risk - the potential for a Specialist Infant Court in Victoria.

In Victoria, matters alleging the abuse or neglect of children are heard in the Family Division of the Children’s Court – a specialist court designed to hear child protection matters. However, the Children’s Court is notoriously adversarial. Litigation can be protracted, traumatising for families, and occurs in a system where the prosecuting authority is simultaneously trying to work collaboratively with the family – an uneasy alliance by anyone’s standards. Less adversarial approaches are available but rare and lack a primary prevention framework. A specialist infant court has the capacity to support vulnerable and at-risk families from the outset to ensure safety of the infant and work collaboratively with the family to keep the family together wherever possible.  So, exactly how would a specialist infant court operate and what do we need to do to get one of our own?

Show notes:

Matthew Wilson’s report 

https://www.churchilltrust.com.au/project/to-investigate-innovative-court-based-approaches-to-infants-in-care-and-protection-proceedings/

Submission below by Nicole and Matthew 

https://yoorrookjusticecommission.org.au/document-library/submission-tweddle-foundation/

Best Interests Children’s Law Podcast is sponsored by Ex Curia: Coaching & Consulting Pty Ltd, Meliora Psychology and Claudia Grimberg Lawyers.

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