Protecting children

• About child protection
  • Child protection legislation
  • Mandatory reporting
  • Children and young people's rights
  • Parent's rights
  • Roles and responsibilities
• What is child abuse?
  • Types and signs of harm
  • Factors contributing to harm
  • Effects of harm
• How to prevent abuse
  • Protecting children from harm
  • Prevention and early intervention
  • Referral for Active Intervention
• Reporting child abuse
  • If you suspect harm
  • What happens when we are contacted?
  • What happens when a report is made?
  • When child safety officers visit your home
  • Cape York Welfare Reform trial
  • Reporting child abuse in other states
• Responding to child abuse
  • Moving a child to a safe place
  • Investigation and assessment
    • Unborn children
    • Assessment orders
  • Care agreements
  • What you can expect
• Ongoing intervention
  • Support Service Case
  • Intervention with Parental Agreement
  • Child protection Order
  • Case planning
    • Service referrals
  • Family group meetings
  • Court processes
    • Childrens Court
    • Family Court
    • Appeals
    • Glossary of court terms
  • Youth justice
• Contacts
  • Child safety service centres
  • Feedback and complaints
• Library
  • Fact sheets and brochures
  • Guides and manuals
  • Legislation
  • Websites

Prevention and early intervention

The Queensland Government promotes a positive vision for all children, young people and their families. This vision states that the community will strive together to produce the following outcomes for children, young people and their families:

• children and young people are nurtured, healthy, safe and realise their full potential
• families are strong, valued in their nurturing role, and capable of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and young people
• communities and services (for example, child care services, schools and community health services) are safe, healthy, inclusive and supportive of children, young people and their families.

It is recognised that some children, young people and their families require additional assistance to achieve these outcomes. Effective prevention and early intervention services can make a difference when provided at the right time.

The Department of Communities focusses on three levels of prevention and early intervention:

• primary prevention services - universal services relevant to the whole of the community
• secondary prevention services - programs targeted to children, young people and their families with identified risks
• intensive and specialist prevention services - available for children, young people and their families who are at high risk of entering the statutory system (once a child, young person or family enter the child protection system, they come under the care of our department).

Further information

For further information on prevention and early intervention services, and other services available in your community to support children, young people and families visit the Department of Communities website.

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Last updated

3 August 2007