Press Releases

3 August 2023

Child advocacy and support group, SHINE for Kids, has called on the Victorian Government to prioritise progressing the recommendations made by a Parliamentary Committee inquiring into children of imprisoned parents.

SHINE for Kids CEO, Julie Hourigan, said she was pleased to see the Victorian Government respond to the Inquiry, but would like to see more detail on how it supports this vulnerable cohort.

“I commend the good work of the Committee – it put forward a solid set of recommendations that aim to improve the lives of children with a parent in prison,” Ms Hourigan said.

“I would now like to see a more detailed response from the Victorian Government that individually addresses each of the 29 recommendations.

“The Victorian Government’s response leans mostly on past funding commitments – and we would like to see greater focus on how the Government will implement these recommendations moving forward.

“The truth is, when a parent goes to prison, there are often no formal support networks in place to ensure their child is properly cared for.

“It often falls to family members to pick up these responsibilities, and if that is not possible, the child is placed in care.

“This is a traumatic experience, and we need to do everything we possibly can to improve the system and ensure children don’t become collateral damage when their parent goes to prison.

“These children should not be punished because of the actions of their parents.

“I look forward to working with both the Victorian Government and the Opposition on the implementation of these recommendations and making a real difference to the justice system.”

For more information, visit shineforkids.org.au

Media contact: Billy Briggs | 0474 697 235