Victoria Strengthens Checks on Child Protection Services

Victoria's child protection watchdog is stepping up its oversight. The Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) has expanded its checks across 140 organisations in 2024 and gained new legal powers to investigate how services protect children in care. Meena Singh, the Acting Principal Commissioner, is leading the organisation through this period of increased monitoring.

These changes follow a restructuring that moved some regulatory responsibilities to a different regulator. But the core mission remains: make sure organisations are doing their job to prevent child abuse and protect vulnerable young people.

New Laws Give the Commission More Power

Starting 1 July 2024, new laws gave the Commission stronger authority to step in when children are in contact with child protection or out-of-home care services. The Commission received these expanded powers as part of Victoria's ongoing effort to improve how the government manages child protection. The state also recently restructured its health and human services department, which now handles families, housing, and fairness.

The timing matters: this year, the Commission released its annual report to Parliament, documenting its work to hold organisations accountable for stopping, spotting, and responding to child abuse.

Recognising Best Practice in Child Protection

Victoria announced the winners of its 2024 Protecting Children Awards during National Child Protection Week. These awards highlight organisations doing innovative work to keep kids safe.

The Brave Foundation won the Child and Youth Empowerment Award, and the Garinga Bupup Early Intervention Program—run by the Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative—won the Walda Blow Aboriginal Children and Young People Award. Singling out Aboriginal-focused programs reflects something important: the Commission now pays closer attention to cultural practices and community expertise when it comes to protecting Indigenous children.

The Inquiry That Changed Everything

The Commission's push for tougher oversight builds on a serious investigation. In 2019, the Commission completed an inquiry called 'Lost, not forgotten', which examined 35 cases of children and young people who died by suicide. All of them had been involved with Victoria's child protection system within a year of their death.

The findings were sobering. Six of those children were Aboriginal. The inquiry found a direct link between contact with child protection and later suicide risk. It recommended that Victoria fund more early intervention programs and improve how services track families to keep them connected and supported.

What happened in those 35 cases—children who fell through gaps in the system—set the direction for the changes happening now. The Commission is trying to prevent similar tragedies.

How the System Got Reorganised

The government separated the Commission's responsibilities. Some regulatory work moved to a new agency called the Social Services Regulator, while the Commission kept its power to review deaths of children who had recent contact with child protection. Think of it this way: the Commission now focuses its energy on investigating serious cases, while another body handles checking that organisations follow safety rules.

This kind of restructuring isn't new. Other Australian states have done similar things after high-profile child protection failures. But the goal is always the same: learn from what went wrong and build better systems.

The bigger picture here is that Victoria's child protection system has had to evolve. Investigations and inquiries expose problems. Organisations then redesign their structures to fix those problems and prevent similar failures.

Checking 140 Organisations

The decision to monitor 140 organisations across the state marks a big shift. Instead of just investigating after something goes wrong, the Commission is now looking ahead—checking in on organisations proactively to make sure they're doing the right thing.

These organisations range from traditional child protection services to community groups and Aboriginal co-operatives. Each has a piece of the puzzle. The breadth of this effort shows that child protection isn't just a government job—it needs schools, hospitals, community services, and local organisations all working together.

What Comes Next

The Commission is now managing something complex: new powers, more organisations to monitor, and new working relationships with other regulators. That takes coordination and clear rules about who does what.

The focus on checking whether organisations are doing their jobs—rather than waiting for crises—is a different approach from the past. It's meant to catch problems early, which aligns with the early intervention recommendations that came out of 'Lost, not forgotten'. But it also asks a real question: can the Commission handle this much oversight work well?

The next phase of Victoria's child protection system will largely depend on whether these expanded powers actually prevent harm. The Commission's leadership and resources will matter enormously. So will whether all these organisations—government, community, and Aboriginal services—can coordinate effectively. That coordination is harder than it sounds, but the stakes are high.