Since August we have welcomed another six organisations to the Charter of Rights endorsee group, making a total of 55 endorsees. The six are Australian Red Cross, Country North Community Services, Miroma Cottages, Northern Adelaide Supportive Care, Scosa Spastic Centres of SA and Yarrow Place. Congratulations to all six on completing the endorsement process. There are now 172 Charter Champions in these organisations who take special responsibility for promoting children’s rights.
The Charter of Rights Implementation Committee continues to steer the progress on respect for children’s rights and to exchange ideas and information. Recently the committee has had updates on the SA launch of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the vulnerable youth framework and the creation of a single Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.
Twenty young people have so far contributed to the development of a third comic book for children and young people in care. They are working with a writer and illustrator on the theme of negotiating for what you want. Other young people have accompanied us on two visits to Parliament House to talk to the then Minister for Education and Child Development Hon Grace Portolesi. See the Youth Advisors page for more information.
On 10 and 11 October the Guardian hosted the bi-annual meeting of the Australian Children’s Commissioners and Guardians. The topics under discussion were wide ranging and included psychotropic medication use, rights of young people who are detained and working with children checks. See the communiqué.
In the final quarter of 2012, the Office of the Guardian received 30 requests for intervention on behalf of 56 children, audited 81 annual reviews and visited five residential or juvenile justice units.
In September 2012 the Guardian commenced an inquiry into what children say about moving while in care and we will be posting regularly and inviting comments on some of the issues later in March.
Find out what’s going on at the Guardian’s Office via our Twitter feed.
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