An advocacy group in Tasmania has welcomed moves to set up a database within the office of the Children’s Commissioner to record and report on children’s health and wellbeing.
Minister for Children Jacqui Petrusma has confirmed discussions are underway with the Children’s Commissioner to set up a database collating key child welfare statistics called Kids Come First.
Children’s advocates hope the commissioner will use the database to provide regular reports on the state’s children.
Allison Ritchie from the group People Protecting Children said a lot of the data already existed but it would be helpful to collate it in one place.
She said she hoped when the database was up and running, the Children’s Commissioner would use it to provide regular updates on key welfare indicators.
“The number of children living in poverty and suffering from homelessness, the number of children who are absent form school, how the Indigenous population is faring in terms of our children, compared to non-Indigenous children — the list is actually quite endless,” she said.
Ms Ritchie said the database could include things like school absentee rates, homelessness and abuse notifications.
“Our hope is that something like this will be published regularly for the public to look at and to help governments better tune their policy levers,” she said.
“Also to enable the public and other stakeholders who are interested in the welfare of children to keep governments and their agencies to account.”