How

How do you contact the Child Advocate?

You can make contact whenever you need to, although the Child Advocate can respond between 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday-Friday. There are 4 ways to reach out, or have an adult that you trust do this for you.

How does the Child Advocate work?

Individual Advocacy

The Child Advocate is here to:

  • Listen to you and talk about your wishes and views with others who can improve things for you, or keep it confidential if you prefer.
  • Make sure that you are a part of the decisions that are about you, and that your rights in care are respected and upheld.
  • Help to change decisions that are not OK for you.
  • Help resolve problems you may be having in care.
  • Meet with you, talk on the phone, email, or chat via private social media. Whatever way is most comfortable for you, and maybe more than once so that you feel OK sharing information.
  • Talk with adults important to you, with your OK. You will always be included if you want to be. We can work out together who to speak with next, such as your parent, caregiver, Child Safety Officer, their bosses, or other relevant adults.
  • Work with you if you or someone else is not safe. We can work out together what has to happen next.
  • Talk to important people like the Deputy Secretary, the Secretary or Minister, if adults are not listening or taking action.

Systemic Advocacy

The Child Advocate will:

  • Make sure children and young people are consulted and help to change the Child Safety Service. The Child Advocate has a youth consultation forum called the Youth Change Makers. Find out more about how you can participate in that below. This group meets in each region of Tasmania, as well as in a closed online group.
  • Provide recommendations to the Child Safety Service staff to put you at the centre of their work and decisions.
  • Help provide child-friendly resources to children, young people and professionals.