A new protocol allowing the Commonwealth to share information about child custody arrangements with State child protection Agencies has been announced by the Minister for Families and Community Services, Jenny Macklin.

Ms Macklin said the new arrangements would help protect and support children at risk of abuse or neglect.

She said following the successful inclusion of Centrelink and Medicare in the information sharing protocol, the Child Support Agency had now also been included.

“The information sharing protocol formalises the process for passing on client details to child protection Agencies, where a child is at serious risk of harm or in the interests of their health or welfare,” Ms Macklin said.

“With the inclusion of the Child Support Agency,” she said, “information about the custody arrangements for a child, addresses and information about other children in a person’s care, can now be shared.” 

The Minister said the shared information could help State child protection Agencies locate a family, assist in their investigations of abuse and neglect or help them arrange suitable care for a child who had been removed from his or her parents.

Ms Macklin said information sharing across jurisdictions made it easier for child protection Agencies to remain in contact with vulnerable children if families changed addresses or moved interstate.

She said by allowing authorities to access a child’s history of doctors’ visits, the changes would also help investigations of cases of serious abuse or medical neglect.

“The protocol clearly establishes what information can be requested, and under what circumstances it can be provided,” Ms Macklin said.

“Improved information sharing between Government Agencies is an important tool in child protection.”

She said since the introduction of the information sharing protocol, child protection Agencies had made numerous requests for information from Centrelink and Medicare.

She said between 1 January 2009 and 30 June this year, Centrelink received 4,795 requests for protected information, most seeking addresses to locate a family.

Medicare received 243 requests for Medicare card numbers between 1 November 2009 and 30 June this year.

Ms Macklin said the Government was considering extending the protocol for use with other Commonwealth Agencies.

Further information was available from www.fahcsia.gov.au

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