Pubdate: Mon, 05 Jun 2000 Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) Copyright: 2000 The Sydney Morning Herald Contact: GPO Box 3771, Sydney NSW 2001 Fax: +61-(0)2-9282 3492 Website: http://www.smh.com.au/ Forum: http://forums.fairfax.com.au/ Author: David Humphries COURTS TO GAIN MORE POWER OVER ABUSED CHILDREN The NSW Cabinet today is expected to approve changes to child protection laws, allowing courts to take young children permanently from parents who refuse to end their abuse or neglect. The proposals make the rights of children to supportive and caring environments explicit and paramount and overturn decades of welfare policy that insisted on keeping families together, sometimes with tragic results for children. The Premier, Mr Carr, strongly supports the changes recommended by his Minister for Community Services, Mrs Lo Po', and is also understood to want adoption spelt out in the legislation. The changes are additional to the December 1998 child protection legislation, which has not been proclaimed. Opponents of further changes proposed by Mrs Lo Po' argue they are unnecessary because it is already implied that the rights of children are paramount over those of their parents. Mrs Lo Po', however, has insisted that the rights be explicit and has rejected criticisms that her stance is populist and unresearched. Sources said Mr Carr was keen to see that proclamation of the 1998 legislation was not further delayed. The draft exposure bill, due before Parliament this week, signals the start of formal community consultation on the Lo Po' plans. They include the trial Drug Court being able to order testing of parents, a function that will later pass to the Children's Court. - --- MAP posted-by: greg