The State Government has outlined a set of new measures designed to give vulnerable families earlier support during pregnancy, with the goal of helping more babies grow up safely within their own homes. The approach centres on a new Prenatal Safety and Support Model being developed by the Department for Child Protection, with the intention of giving expectant parents clearer pathways to help before problems escalate.
The model is due for completion later this year and has been shaped by research into what works best in prenatal child protection and family support. It encourages staff to start working with families as early as possible in pregnancy, giving them more time to identify what support is needed, bring in help from other services and build a plan that prioritises the baby’s safety.
A recurring theme across the initiatives is partnership. The Department wants families to feel involved rather than sidelined when plans are put together. That includes identifying concerns together, discussing options openly and bringing in other agencies where specialist help may be required. Collaboration between government and non-government organisations sits at the centre of the model.
Alongside the new framework, several related efforts are already under way. The Department is working with the Australian Centre for Child Protection on an interagency protocol intended to clarify how different services cooperate in perinatal care. Access to Family Group Conferences is being broadened, with the support of Relationships Australia SA and Aboriginal Family Support Services. These conferences allow families to take the lead in decision making, particularly when the wider family network can offer practical support.
The State Government is also funding 17 High Risk Infant Workers who focus specifically on families needing extra assistance. Their job is to help expectant parents identify what may place their baby at risk and then work through the kinds of support that could shift those risks. The Department says the aim is to avoid situations where babies have to be removed immediately after birth.
Recent figures show progress, though advocates stress that numbers alone don’t capture the broader picture. Since 2021–22, removals within the first week of life have fallen by 36 per cent, dropping from 87 babies to 56 in 2024–25. Removals within the first month have decreased by 21 per cent over the same period. While these trends suggest earlier intervention may be helping, child protection work is complex and outcomes depend on many factors, including service availability, housing stability, mental health support and community involvement. The Department’s hope is that the new model will strengthen coordination across those areas.
Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard said supporting families early is one of the most practical ways to reduce the number of children entering care. She described the new model as an opportunity for staff and families to address issues before they take root, helping to give babies a safer start and enabling families to avoid repeating harmful cycles.
Hildyard highlighted the importance of family, community and cultural connection, noting that many families already possess strengths that can be built upon when they receive the right support at the right moment. She characterised the approach as a move toward more constructive partnerships with families engaged in the child protection system.
Jackie Bray, Chief Executive of the Department for Child Protection, echoed the view that infants have the best chance of positive long-term outcomes when raised within their own family networks. She said pregnancy remains a period when parents are often more open to change and more willing to engage with services that can address underlying issues.
Bray explained that the model seeks to keep babies safe by addressing risks early, drawing on cooperation between government and non-government organisations. She framed it as one part of a broader commitment to making sure families can access support without unnecessary hurdles.
The new model sets clear expectations for a whole-of-system response. Whether it achieves lasting improvements will depend on how consistently the approach is applied and how well agencies work together over time. For now, the Department is positioning the initiative as another step toward reducing the number of babies entering care, with early intervention and collaborative planning at its core.
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