General News
12 September, 2022
Child safety is everyone’s business
THESE are the faces of the people who are there when a child is in need.
Child safety officers (CSO) Natalie Lynam and Isaac Freeman are just two of the officers who have taken on the challenging task of intervening when children are at risk, and they say it is the best decision of their lives.
Coinciding with Child Protection Week, figures from the Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs reveal that 8,000 calls regarding harm or risk of harm to a child were received from the Far North Queensland region during 2021.
At least 1,914 of those reports were of legitimate concern, with 72.9 per cent of the calls related to children who had been harmed, were at a significant risk of future harm and did not have a parent willing and/or able to protect them.
In these cases, Ms Lynam and Mr Freeman are there to help, with Ms Lynam working with children in-home while Mr Freeman focuses on children in foster care.
“Every day is different when you’re a CSO,” Ms Lynam said.
“We do our best to plan and get things in our calendars, but we’re working with human beings, so things change.
“But our goal to keep these kids safe always remains the same.”
Ms Lynam said her role working in the in-home space, although challenging, was very rewarding.
“Children are at home with families, and we manage the risks in-home and address the child protection concerns with families,” she said.
“A lot of what I do is intensive work with families – we link them with appropriate services and have lots of difficult conversations.
“But also having these moments where parents realise “I achieved this” and enjoying those small wins with them.
“It’s hard work but so rewarding, and the kids are worth it.”
As the team leader of a group of CSOs, Mr Freeman ensures his staff are prepared to offer the best quality services to children and their families.
“I see my role as supporting my staff to deliver great service to children in foster care,” Mr Freeman said.
“We’re not pursuing a ‘good enough’ life for them; we’re pursuing the best potential life they can have.
“We talk to the children, we talk to the carers, because at in this moment we’re their guardians, we get to advocate and speak up for these children.”
When addressing some misconceptions surrounding their role, the CSOs said the aim was to keep children with their families, not the opposite.
“The purpose of your role is to support and build the parents’ capacities so that Child Safety can step away,” Mr Freeman said.
“A large percentage of our work is done with families in-home, keeping children with families, just helping families get strong and equipped to keep their children safe and well.”
Ms Lynam and Mr Freeman said Child Protection Week was a time for reflection and action within the child safety sector and the general community.
“Child protection is everyone’s business,” Ms Lynam said.
“Everyone has a responsibility to ensure the safety of children as a community, from the parents, family members, friends, all the way up to support services.”
“Our greatest hope is to partner with the community to enrich families’ lives and those of children,” Mr Freeman said.
“We’re not separate to you; we’re not separate to the community; there’s a shared vision there for the safety and wellbeing of children.
“These are our children, our communities’ children, and we’re doing this together.”
For more information on child safety services in FNQ, at: https://bit.ly/3cYGP9d
