News
Senate Committee inquiry into international parental child abduction: report released
The report of the Senate’s Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee on international parental child abduction was tabled in the Senate chamber on 31 October 2011. A copy of the report can be downloaded here (NB: it is also available in chapter form from the Australian Parliamentary website).
The report makes 11 recommendations, including Recommendation 8: “The committee recommends that the Australia Government should, in consultation with relevant stakeholders such as International Social Service Australia, investigate strategies to improve the availability and coordinated delivery of support services in international parental child abduction cases, including post-return services”.
The report extensively cites ISS Australia’s written submission and testimony provided by ISS Australia’s National Services Manager, Helen Freris (see below).
ISS Australia testifies at Senate inquiry into international child abduction
ISS Australia’s National Services Manager, Helen Freris, recently testified before the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee of the Australian Senate in its inquiry into international child abduction. The Committee heard from a wide range of individual, NGO and government witnesses on 26 August 2011.
ISS Australia also made a written submission to the Senate inquiry, which can be downloaded here.
Helen Freris on SBS Radio
ISS Australia’s National Services Manager, Helen Freris, recently spoke on SBS Radio on proposed legislative changes aimed at strengthening provisions prohibiting a parent taking or retaining a child overseas without the permission of the other parent (international parental child abduction). The proposed changes were announced recently by Commonwealth Attorney-General the Hon. Robert McClelland.
A podcast of the broadcast can be accessed or downloaded from SBS Radio’s website at www.sbs.com.au/podcasts/Podcasts/radionews/episode/185727/New-laws-target-child-abduction.
ISS International Council and Conference
The next meeting of the International Council of the ISS network (the supreme decision-making body which meets every second year) will be held in Banff, Canada from 20 – 25 May 2012.
The meeting will coincide with a conference on international social work sponsored by International Social Service, the University of Calgary (Canada) and the University of Maryland (USA). The theme of the conference is “The Growing Wave of Human Migration: Its Impact on the Planning Design and Delivery of our Social Programs”.
Meetings of ISS’s Governing Board and Professional Advisory Committee (made up of the Directors of all ISS branches and bureaus) will also take place during the week, as will a Supervisors’ Meeting (bringing together the casework supervisors of all branches and bureaus).
ISS Australia will be represented at the International Council meeting by its President, Diana Batzias, and Executive Director, Fionn Skiotis.