Australian child protection legislation | Australian Institute of Family Studies

Australian child protection legislation | Australian Institute of Family Studies

Child protection in Australia

Child protection is an area of public law where authorities may intervene in family settings because of an allegation of harm or significant risk of harm to a child (Titterton, 2017).

In Australia, there is some Commonwealth legislation that provides guidance on child protection; however, state and territory governments have responsibility for the administration and operation of child protection services. Each state and territory has its own Act of Parliament (often referred to as laws) that governs how child protection interventions work.

Across Australia, a set of key principles guide all child protection legislation and a national framework provides a shared agenda for change in the way Australia manages child protection issues.

This resource sheet outlines:

• key principles guiding child protection legislation 
• the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2021–2031
• Commonwealth, state and territory child protection legislation.

Note: For information on the state or territory agency responsible for child protection in each jurisdiction, see the CFCA resource sheet Reporting child abuse and neglect: Information for service providers.