NSW Department of Communities and Justice releases Taylor Fry report

Further research in the report – Targeted Earlier Intervention (TEI) Evaluation – released by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), also shows increased sense of belonging in the community, empowerment and self-determination, and health of children and young people.

Co-authored in partnership with Social Ventures Australia and Gamarada Universal Indigenous Resources, we found improvements as well as economic benefits in safety outcomes. This means there was a reduction in concern and risk of significant harm reports as well as exits from out-of-home care. The improvements in safety outcomes translate to $92 million in annual benefits at a minimum.

The report, Targeted Earlier Intervention (TEI) Evaluation, focuses on the outcomes and economic evaluation of the TEI program. The program aims to prevent the escalation of risks associated with child abuse and neglect by increasing access to services at the most impactful time – early in life and early in need. It also aims to reduce the number of children exposed to the child protection system.

Other findings in our evaluation include:

• The proportion of Aboriginal clients who have received services from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Community-controlled Organisation (ACCO) providers has increased over time since 2020-21
• However, the proportion of funding provided to ACCO providers in 2022-23 was 7.7%, which is below DCJ’s target of 30% in Aboriginal-led early intervention programs
• Participation in TEI did not appear to reduce the rate of children entering out-of-home care
• Participation in TEI led to increased referrals to key service areas, such as housing, which shows that TEI services are connecting clients to services they need.

Among our seven recommendations detailed in the report, we propose the DCJ increase funding and capacity of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Community-controlled Organisations, focus on increasing TEI access in high population-growth and remote areas, and increase flexibility in service provision and provider awareness.

This Final Report builds on our previous Interim Report, which focused on more qualitative aspects of the evaluation.

For more details, read the Final Report in full.