Children and young people in care and detention have important rights. Their rights are set out in lists, called ‘Charters’.
There is a Charter of Rights for children and young people who live in care, and a different Charter of Rights for children and young people who are being detained in Kurlana Tapa Youth Justice Centre.
Children and young people can use the Charters to advocate for themselves, and adults can use them to talk with children and young people about their rights, and to help advocate for them.
The Charter of Rights for Children and Young People in Care
The Charter of Rights for Children and Young People in Care sets out the rights of children and young people who are under the guardianship of the Chief Executive of the Department for Child Protection.
It is based on the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child and was developed with the help of children and young people who have lived in care. Because they know what it is like, they know what is important.
Organisations who work with children and young people in care must make sure they uphold these rights in the work they do.
Anyone who is formally involved with children in care, such as a social worker or carer, must ‘seek to implement to the fullest extent possible, the terms of the Charter’, as outlined in the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017.
Organisations demonstrate their commitment to upholding the rights of children and young people in care through our endorsement program.
The Charter of Rights for Children and Young People who are Detained
The Charter of Rights for Youths Detained in Youth Justice Facilities details the rights of children and young people while they are held in detention.
Anyone working with children or young people in detention must ‘seek to implement to the fullest extent possible, the terms of the Charter’, as outlined in the Youth Justice Administration Act 2016.