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The Royal Commission into child protection in ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï called for government and non-government agencies to focus on preventative or early intervention strategies, starting in the antenatal period, in order to better support families to safely care for their children. Early intervention was called for to reduce later child protection involvement.
The Child and Family Assessment and Referral Network (CFARN) pilot program was established in response to these recommendations. CFARN connects with at-risk families, assess their context, strengths and risks and facilitates access to support services outside the child protection system (through other government departments and the non-government service sector).
Researchers from the Telethon Kids Institute in partnership with the BetterStart Group at the University of Adelaide were engaged to conduct an evaluation of the CFARN pilot sites.
The evaluation found early evidence that the program improved the experience of families at risk of child protection involvement and contributed to reduced risk for children.
