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From the Front Line: The State as a Failed Parent

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 May 2013

Frank Ainsworth  and
Patricia Hansen
Frank Ainsworth*
Affiliation:
Senior Principal Research Fellow (Adjunct), School of Social Work and Community Welfare, James Cook University, Townsville campus, Queensland 4811
Patricia Hansen
Affiliation:
Solicitor, Rogers & Hansen, Merrylands, NSW 2160 and Professor (Adjunct), School of Social Work, Australian Catholic University, Strathfield campus, Sydney, New South Wales 2135
*
addresses for correspondence: Dr. Frank Ainsworth, Senior Principal Research Fellow (Adjunct), School of Social Work and Community Welfare, James Cook University, Townsville campus, Queensland 4811. E-mail: [email protected].
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Abstract

The focus of this article is young women aged 16–17 years who, while in State care in New South Wales gave birth, and from whom the child was then removed by the same department that is responsible for the mother's care. This topic is rarely examined due to two constraints. One is the lack of available data about the incidence of events of this kind. The second is the confidentiality provision in the New South Wales Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 which defines the Children's Court as a closed court and prohibits the reporting of identifiable case information.

As a consequence much of this article is based on the authors' direct observation of cases involving young women of this age that they have encountered while undertaking professional duties in the Children's Court. The article also explores the further issue of the adoption of children removed from mothers who are still in State care.

Because of the lack of data this article can be classified as an opinion piece which attempts to raise awareness about an important care issue. The article has a New South Wales focus but the authors expect that the same concerns are echoed in other Australian states and territories.

Type
Articles
Information
Children Australia , Volume 38 , Issue 2 , June 2013 , pp. 70 - 75
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2013 

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References

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Re Tracey (2011) NSWSC43CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Note:

Frank Ainsworth is a Guardian ad Litem in the NSW Children's Court.Google Scholar
Patricia Hansen is a solicitor who practices in the NSW Children's Court.Google Scholar