Failure to protect Tasmanian children common to both sides of politics
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The names and faces change but the problem seems to be the same — the system is not doing enough for Tasmania's most vulnerable children.
A turbulent week in child protection has again highlighted the trouble successive governments have had with the delicate issue.
When children cannot find an appropriate home they sometimes end up in what is called residential care.
It's often some of the most vulnerable children who require the most care and attention.
During the week the ABC revealed more shocking allegations of neglect by Tasmanian provider Safe Pathways.
The for-profit organisation has since had children in its care removed while a government review takes place.
While the practices of Safe Pathways may be dominating the current debate, it is far from the full story on child protection.
Last year, 150 notifications about at-risk children were ignored by the department for up to 12 months.
Failures on both sides of politics
Things were certainly no better under the former Labor government.
In 2011, a 13-year-old girl fell pregnant while in state care, and in 2009 there was the shocking case of the 12-year-old ward of the state sold into the sex trade by her mother and a pimp, Gary John Devine.
Between 2005 and 2011 there were 13 reports into child protection in the state.
The most recent report on redesigning the system was handed to Government earlier this year.
Tasmania's former children's commissioner Paul Mason is not surprised issues with child protection are still coming to light.
"If nothing changes, nothing changes. The systems of child protection in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania haven't changed a lot," he said.
"Apart from outsourcing some of the services and that was always going to be problematic."
Mr Mason wrote a damning report about how the ward of the state who was sold into prostitution.
After his report was delivered, Mr Mason did not have his contract renewed.
It is Mr Mason's long-held view that independent oversight of the sector is a must.
"Independent of both the department controlling the service and independent of the organisation providing the service," he said.
"Independent particularly of the individual people providing the care for the child."
The now Liberal Government has committed $20 million to re-design the child protection system and has moved to bolster the powers of the current Children's Commissioner, Mark Morrissey.
It is hoped those measures will help better protect the state's most vulnerable in the years to come.
Topics: child-abuse, government-and-politics, tas
