CAPS commends NSW Government for releasing Forcasting Future Outcomes report

The Child Abuse Prevention Service (CAPS) has commended the NSW Government for releasing the Forecasting Future Outcomes report, which explores the significant government costs involved in addressing the needs of the state’s most vulnerable children.

The report also highlights the array of adverse outcomes that vulnerable children are likely to face throughout their lives.

Forecasting Future Outcomes, CAPS said, demonstrates the need for a more targeted, data-driven approach to child protection and a greater investment in early intervention programs. 

The report, which is available to read in full here, projects that 45 per cent of child protection costs will be spent addressing the needs of only 1 per cent of the cohort studied for the report.

CAPS CEO Tracy McLeod Howe said the organisation strongly supports the use of data and evidence to guide investment towards programs that address the root causes of child abuse. 

“We look forward to working with both the Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services and Their Futures Matter to ensure that government funding is directed to the programs that can do the most good for the most vulnerable,” Ms McLeod Howe said. 

The collaboration of all areas of society, working together to protect children will be one of the key topics to be discussed at the CAPS Safe Children Conference in Sydney on 22 October 2019.