Improving the response to at-risk children and families has been a national priority, reflected in whole of government initiatives such as the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009–2020.
An important reform in New South Wales is the introduction of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) at various points of the child protection system, including as part of the care and protection jurisdiction of the NSW Children’s Court.
The NSW Department of Attorney-General and Justice (DAGJ) contracted the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) to undertake a process and outcome evaluation of the new model of dispute resolution conference (DRC) and the Legal Aid Pilot in the NSW Children’s Court. The purpose of the evaluation, which commenced in March 2011, was to assess the implementation and effectiveness of alternative dispute resolution in the care and protection jurisdiction.