About The Journal

We have been fortunate in being invited by the College for Child and Family Protection Practitioners (ACCFPP) to edit a new journal, Communities, Children and Families Australia. The journal is made possible through a collaborative partnership between the Institute and the College which we believe sends a clear message about the complexity of research, policy and practice in child protection and the importance of evidence-based practice.

Aim

Communities, Children and Families Australia aims to increase the professional profile of people who work in all areas of child and family welfare through the promotion of practice research, teaching and learning. It is underpinned by assumptions that the challenges faced by children who suffer harm in their families and communities require multiple, complex responses; that cumulative, multi faceted disadvantage cannot be effectively addressed through single discipline or siloed approaches. The journal predominantly features peer reviewed articles but provides the opportunity, also, for practitioner reflection and discussion of small research projects and book reviews.

The First Edition

The first edition, which was formally launched at the end of July has a beautiful cover picture of Bushland, which was painted by 15 year old Carl Lyons from the ACT. The journal leads with an article from Professor Dorothy Scott from the Australian Centre for Child Protection. Dorothy advocates a public health approach based on primary, secondary and tertiary prevention strategies to reduce the level of child abuse in the community. Two articles in the journal, one by Dr Jude Irwin, Dr Fran Waugh and Michelle Bonner, and the other by Dr Sharon Bessell, explore ethical issues associated with research involving children and young people. In a study of 364 children and young people who have had two or more placements in out of home care, Alexandra Osborn and Dr Paul Delfabbrio compare the data across four Australian states. Addressing the significant challenge of recruiting and retaining children protection workers Dr Morag McArthur, Kandie Allen Kelly and Frank Duggan from the ACT describe the partnership that has developed between the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services and the development of a more relevant model for post graduate study in child protection. Finally we are very fortunate to include a reflective piece by Professor Tony Vinson on the geographic concentration of disadvantage and the importance of collaborative, place based approaches.