Submission: Special Inquiry into Child Protection Services in NSW

Redfern Legal Centre has a long-standing and close engagement with the communities affected by the ‘redevelopment’ of the Redfern/Waterloo area as well as extensive networks with other government and community service providers in the area, including NSW Police. From this position we note how important community perceptions of DoCS and how DoCS operates impact on the whole community’s approach to dealing with DoCS, and supporting families with children who may be at risk. In particular, we observe that many of our Aboriginal clients perceive themselves and their children to be part of another Stolen Generation. For these reasons, we stress the importance that DoCS improve their treatment of parents whose children have been removed, including the importance that some children maintain a relationship with their natural parent. We also recommend that DoCS improve the adversarial manner in which they conduct Childen’s Court matters, and the general support that they provide to families who have been affected by DoCS.