- Published:
- Monday 4 September 2017
The Andrews Labor Government has already filled more than 100 positions in its ongoing recruitment campaign as part of the biggest ever boost to Victoria’s child protection workforce.
The expansion is a vital part of the Labor Government’s $72.2 million investment to employ 450 new child protection workers.
This investment is part of a 20 per cent increase in new child protection practitioners hired since 2014. There are now more than 1,600 practitioners working with vulnerable children and young people across the state.
The new positions will be placed around the state based on workload demand.
Minister for Families and Children Jenny Mikakos met with students enrolled in the Bachelor of Social Work at RMIT to announce the number of places available in the Child Protection Vacation Employment Program will be doubled.
This will expand the recruitment pipeline for child protection practitioners, and help the Government meet its target of 450 new child protection workers.
The 12-week paid vacation program provides students with experience in department child protection offices across Victoria, with the program doubling to 80 places for the upcoming summer.
Child protection practitioners receive and assess reports of alleged child abuse and neglect. The work is rewarding and fulfilling, but incredibly challenging.
The Government’s $168 million Roadmap for Reform is shifting the children and family services system from crisis response to prevention and early intervention.
A record $1.9 billion package of measures to end family violence in Victoria was announced in the Victorian Budget 2017/18.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Families and Children Jenny Mikakos
“Children are too often the silent victims of family violence. We’re investing more than ever to help our child protection workforce gain the skills they need to intervene sooner and keep our kids safer.”
“We’re making the biggest ever expansion of the child protection workforce, because there’s nothing more important than protecting our kids.”