Shocking rates of child protection cases in the Barkly

The Office of the Children’s Commissioner annual report shows 41.4 per cent of kids living in the Barkly are subject to a Territory Families notification and are eight times more likely to be physically, sexually or emotionallly harmed than Darwin kids.

More than 40 per cent of kids in the Barkly region are subject to a child protection notification.

ALMOST half of all the kids living in the Barkly are subject to a child protection notification, according to a shocking new report.

The Office of the Children’s Commissioner (OCC) annual report shows 41.4 per cent of kids living in the Barkly are subject to a Territory Families notification, with 900 more received last financial year.

It also shows Barkley kids have the highest rates (per 1,000 population) of substantiated episodes of neglect, physical, sexual and emotional harm in the NT at 8 per cent compared to 1 per cent in Darwin.

NT News front page February 15, 2019

A CHILD neglect or abuse report every 21 minutes

These figures come after the rape of a two-year-old girl in Tennant Creek earlier last year.

Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne said it was concerning and there needed to be a review of the whole of government reforms in the Barkly Region.

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Territory Families Minister Dale Wakefield said the notification rate for children in the Barkly has always been high and well above the national average in child protection data.

“This year we have seen some encouraging improvements including a move towards the national average,” she said.

“In the past year, we have seen a reduction in the demand for child protection services in the Barkly as a result of our investment in early intervention and prevention, our new approach to family support and improvements to child protection processes and practice.”

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Across the whole NT, child protection notifications have fallen by 5.3 per cent, with 23,482 received last financial year.

Woman living in the Barkly also recorded the highest rates of smoking during pregnancy with 47 per cent of expectant mum lighting up, compared to the national average of 9.9 per cent.