Child Protection Guide

We are committed to enabling families to get the right support at the time that they need it to help them to care for and protect their children.

The Child Protection Guide is a web-based decision support tool collaboratively developed across both the government and non-government sector. The guide aims to assist professionals to report their concerns to the appropriate statutory agency or to refer children and their families to a family support service.

The Child Protection Guide has been designed to complement rather than replace a professional's critical thinking and does not preclude a professional from any course of action they believe is appropriate.

The process to develop the guide was led by the Children's Research Center, Wisconsin, USA in partnership with the department and builds on earlier work in New South Wales to develop a reporting guide. The guide was initially trialled for a twelve month period in 2012 by staff of the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service and the South-East Queensland Region of the Department of Education.

For detailed procedures, cultural notes and a complete glossary please refer to the Child protection guide procedures manual (PDF, 1005 KB).

To begin your session, please visit the Child protection guide site.

For further information please contact the Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety and ask for Operational Support.

Towards a community response

Families have the primary responsibility for the upbringing, protection and development of their children.
Statutory child protection is not the only solution and, in many instances, is not the best solution.
Many families with needs can best be served outside of the statutory system.
Families will receive the right support at the time that they need it to help them to care for and protect their children.
It is important that every effort is made by professional reporters to 'get it right'. A misreport can be counter-productive, doing more harm than good by needlessly stigmatising a family. (Taking Responsibility: A Roadmap for Queensland Child Protection, June 2013).