Abstracts and Biographies:
Family-child
Child and Family Participants in Child Protection
Decision Making Conferences
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| Ms Donnie Martin |
| This presentation will draw on the experience of the Care and
Protection Unit of the South Australian Youth Court to identify structures and processes
that promote participation of children and family members in decision-making for the
future care and protection of children regarded as ‘at risk’ by statutory
welfare authorities. The Unit offers Family Care Meetings based on a family conference
model to ensure that children, parents, and extended family have an opportunity to
participate in a process from which they may previously have been excluded. Options for
family care are considered, and the child’s wishes must always be conveyed to the
meeting either directly or by a child advocate. Wherever possible both the child’s
mother and father will be invited to attend, with the support of other relatives.
Mediation between estranged family members, and between family and statutory welfare
authorities, are features of this model. |
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| Ms Donnie Martin has been Senior Coordinator of the
Care and Protection Unit since1998. She is a social worker with many years experience in
the child protection field, with particular expertise in assessment and therapeutic
services for children, and infant mental health. Other Unit staff with social
work/psychology qualifications and considerable experience in child protection and related
fields, will be co-presenters. |
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This conference is sponsored by the World Mediation Forum,
the University of South Australia, and the Hawke Institute.
Related sites: Ausdispute | Conflict Management Research Group | AAPAE Conference
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Updated 21 February 2003 |
