Statement by Djirra CEO Antoinette Braybrook AM:
“We are DEVASTATED and HEARTBROKEN by data from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing that 66 children have died in Victoria in state care over the last four years.
There are NO WORDS strong enough to describe our horror in learning that in the last year alone 20 children have died in state care, with 6 of those deaths occurring between 1 July and 30 September. The majority of children that died were under 2 years of age.
– Victoria’s so-called child ‘protection’ system is UNSAFE.
– We must stop building and investing in UNSAFE SYSTEMS.
– The so-called child ‘protection’ system MUST GO.
Our system is overstretched because the most vulnerable and marginalised are targeted by it.
Family violence is one of the biggest drivers to our kids being caught up in the UNSAFE SYSTEM – it’s time to INVEST in Djirra’s specialist services that work with Mums experiencing violence to stay safe and together with their children.
We MUST keep our children out of these unsafe and punitive systems.
Our children’s lives matter to us and they MUST matter to government.”