If Child Safety are concerned about a child, they may meet with family and other people to create a plan to keep a child safe.
What is a safety plan?
A safety plan sets out some rules to follow to make sure that a kid is safe.
A safety plan may mean you do thinks like:
- Live somewhere else
- Not let your kids see or hear fighting or yelling at home
- Not be with someone who fights or yells at you
- Have a support person who lives with you
- Get a family violence order against someone who is causing trouble for you and tell the police if the rules are broken
- Take your kids to the doctor when they are sick
- Make sure your kids go to school every day on time
- Not take illegal drugs
- Not drink alcohol when you are looking after the kids
- Only leave your kids with safe people when you need a break
- Have some friends or family as support people who can come over and check that things are okay at home, or who can call you when you need help
- Parenting courses to help you learn new ways to help your kids grow up strong
- Counselling to support you to not drink too much or use illegal drugs
- Let Child Safety workers visit and check that things are OK
- Get help with mental health or other health issues that you may have.
Every safety plan will look different. This is because your safety plan is made to fit your and your kid’s needs.
A “Safety Plan” may also be given to someone in a different situation, for example someone who has experienced family violence. The above refers only to Safety Plans in Child Safety.
When do I need a safety plan?
If Child Safety is worried that a kid who is in your care is not safe, they will meet with you and your family to come up with a safety plan to keep your kid safe.
If you are pregnant and Child Safety are worried about your baby not being safe when it is born, they will meet with you and your family to come up with a safety plan for when the baby is born.
Do I need to follow my safety plan?
Yes. Once you have a safety plan you must follow it. When you follow your safety plan this will show the Child Safety workers that you can make things safe for your kid.
Can my safety plan be changed?
Yes. Check your safety plan regularly. If your plan is not working for you, you must tell Child Safety workers that it is not working. Child Safety workers can help you work out what changes need to be made to make things safe for your kids.