Kate Cooper Richardson’s Post

The Future is now! It is so exciting to see the hard work of so many child support leaders and staff, over the last 20 years, come to fruition! Thank you OCSS! Employment and training services can lead to better and more positive engagement with those we serve, a faster path for children to receive the support they need (including a relationship, with a parent they may not have one with), a better return on investment for agencies, and, a new collaboration point for the many agencies that are working to support familes! As a father of four sons, while I hope none of them finds themselves needing these services, this change brings me peace in knowing, that fathers working with the IV-D program, can now receive services to help improve there stability, instead of being required to "step up", in the classic, status quo, oversimplified definition, of what that means, through the "dead beat dad" compliance driven lens that we have employed for generations on, specifically, low-income fathers.

States are experiencing a paradigm shift in addressing noncustodial parents and child support arrears, transitioning from punitive measures to supportive strategies. They can now utilize federal funding to establish employment and training programs for noncustodial parents. By providing education and training, these programs equip fathers with the skills needed for stable, well-paying jobs, enabling them to meet their child support obligations. As they secure employment, they can transition to employer-sponsored health insurance, reducing reliance on Medicaid. Let’s connect! #accountablity #effectivness #efficency #costsavings #BPO #maximus

Solutions for children driven by those who love & care about them - learning from New Zealand. New article by Jordan Hall & myself in Progressive Britain - how the Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill could be a game-changer for children & families if we do this right.

This week the organisation I am privileged to lead turned 10. For the past 10 years, the Queensland Family and Child Commission has been making sure that the systems meant to protect children are performing their role to the best of their ability. Over those 10 years our legislated role has been to: 1) promote the safety, wellbeing and best interests of children and young people; 2) promote and advocate for the responsibility of families and communities to protect and care for children and young people; and 3) improve the child protection system. One of our biggest strengths has been our ability to work across Departmental silos – ensuring the needs of children and families come first. We must talk about housing, mental health, employment, poverty, education, cultural connection, and health in the conversations about child and family wellbeing – and this big picture unfortunately gets fractured by our systems of government. Since our establishment in 2014, we have made a profound impact by improving child protection and youth justice systems through rigorous reviews and audits leading to better policies and practices. Our research and amplification of the views of workers, young people and families have provided crucial insights for informed decision-making. We have made over 120 submissions to Parliament covering a broad range of topics related to child safety, wellbeing, and systemic improvement. By bringing together government agencies, service providers, and communities, we have helped build a more cohesive and effective framework for protecting children in Queensland. We look forward to continuing this vital work and ultimately creating positive impact for all Queenslanders.

I read this article last night and my 2 key take aways are: 1. Andy S. perspective on a cross departmental focus on children is important. My view is that policy-making across all departments should consider the long-term impact on children and so a cabinet minister for children is a good thing but we need MANY voices 'in the room'. It’s crucial to recognise that policies have a lasting effect on young people, and decisions made today can significantly impact their lives in the years ahead. 2. Continuity and trust are vital in social work. Imagine the emotional toll on a child who repeatedly shares their 'story' with a new social worker every six months. To improve outcomes, this needs to be government led and we should ALL work to prioritise placements for social workers with children and their families for as long as they are needed rather than treating interactions and temporary contracts as a bundle of tasks to complete, which is sometimes the case. https://lnkd.in/eWfgkHbW

When looking at OnLAC well-being data for kids in care, I’m often asked about the lack of “improvement” over the years. Outcomes are flat, stagnant. “Why don’t we see a change?” The answer is quite simple, but the solutions are complex: In order to see a change in outcomes, we must make *meaningful* change to the system. We must be willing and able to evaluate the impact of changes made, namely the benefits and disbenefits experienced by youth and families. When necessary, we must adjust the path, even if we believed it was the right one.

I am incredibly proud of the work we do at the QFCC. I truly believe nothing is more important than the safety and wellbeing of Queensland’s children, and we will not stop in our efforts to make this a state where “every child is loved, respected and has their rights upheld.” In our Report on the performance of the Queensland child protection system, we outline many systemic insights – how do we compare to other states and territories, what is going well, what can be improved – and we will be drawing your attention to these in coming months as we continue in our efforts in affect positive change in Queensland for those who come into contact with the child protection and youth justice systems. Here are some key findings that stood out to me – some may surprise, others will not. 1. Housing stability is a big issue for families in Queensland. 2. Insufficient number of carer families means more young people are being placed in residential care. 3. Youth justice systems are not effectively rehabilitating offenders. 4. Rate of First Nations children who are developmentally on track to start school is improving. 5. There are six core issues that need to improve to help our child protection and family support is a collaborative and accountable system. Every year we publish our findings as part of our Annual Report. This is the first time we have published our insights in a standalone report. Read more about the performance of our child protection system here: https://lnkd.in/gEhjvr_f Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC)

From the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute: "Child care, elder care and disability care are crucial for our society. However, care work is not seen as a public good and is void of adequate public investment. Instead, our state and country place an undue child care burden on women despite their often needing and wanting to earn a living. In child care, we subsidize the true cost of care on the backs of ECE teachers, who, in Georgia, are disproportionately Black, and earn far less than the work demands." Read the GBPI's budget and policy recommendations paving the way to an accessible, thriving child care system that benefits both providers and families at https://buff.ly/3Yw1s1w

From the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute: "Child care, elder care and disability care are crucial for our society. However, care work is not seen as a public good and is void of adequate public investment. Instead, our state and country place an undue child care burden on women despite their often needing and wanting to earn a living. In child care, we subsidize the true cost of care on the backs of ECE teachers, who, in Georgia, are disproportionately Black, and earn far less than the work demands." Read the GBPI's budget and policy recommendations paving the way to an accessible, thriving child care system that benefits both providers and families at https://buff.ly/3Yw1s1w

This article gives a great explanation as to why we’ve launched Together We Grow—to address the urgent child care crisis in Southern West Virginia. Our task force is key to finding sustainable solutions, and we need your voice, your ideas, and your support. The children, parents, and communities are relying on us. Read more in the article below to learn why your involvement matters now more than ever! 🌱 https://lnkd.in/gyK6tyht