Child Protection: Three Levels of Service

The entire community has the responsibility to care for children and to provide child protection services. The family has primary responsibility. It is considered best for the wellbeing of a child to be raised in the safe environment of a loving and caring family. However it is also the responsibility of the general community including the government, non-government organisations and other professionals in the community. The government can include human service departments including family and children services, police, health, education and other departments catering for services to children.

Human services departments provide family focused, child-centred services for child protection. They seek to protect children and young people from significant harm as a result of abuse and neglect within the family. Such harm can impede the healthy development and wellbeing of children. It is best if such service can be provided as soon as possible with in the life of the child. Early identification and intervention enables the reduction of the long term effects that abuse and neglect can have on the development of a child.

Agencies are able to provide support at three levels of their operations. These can be referred to as primary, secondary and tertiary services.

Primary services are more universal services in that they are services which are provided for everyone within a country. These include services to pregnant women and child health services where a parents can gain counselling and advice from nurses and other professionals. It can general education. These services typically provide support and practical help to the general community ensuring that children are not subjected to abuse and neglect.

Secondary services are those services which can identify and address issues that affect children and families at a personal and social level. They deal with issues that place additional stress on a family that might lead to breakdown of marital relationships and families that impact on the wellbeing of children. These services may include self help groups for parents and children; in-home support for families, counselling in a variety of issues such as family and financial counselling. It may also include gaining respite services for parents and families that need them.

Tertiary services are more personally geared and more intense in assisting children who are in significant risk of harm. For these children, child protection services are vitally important. These services include direct intervention for children to keep them safe. It is quite possible under tertiary services to empower statutory child protection and placement services for children who can no longer live at home. Of course withdrawal of a child from home is an act of last resort.

Prior to withdrawing a child from the home environment less intrusive services are provided. Services of community based professional and agencies are initially employed to assess and come up with solutions that have least impact and disturbance in the daily life of a child. It is realised that even though removal from the home is possible that this in itself can have detrimental effects on the wellbeing of children.

 
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