Child Protection

What we do

We work proactively with families to build safety around children and prevent the need for children to enter the out-of-home-care system. We also support children and young people who are in out-of-home care to thrive by working with community sector organisations and foster carers to provide them with a safe, stable environment.

We provide and fund a range of child safety and family support services throughout the state including assessing and investigating child abuse and neglect including mandatory reports of child abuse, Working with Children Checks, fostering and adoption services, counselling and outreach programs, crisis accommodation, homelessness services, and emergency services support.

Contact information

For immediate concerns: If you have a life-threatening concern about a child, contact the police on 000.

Concern for a child's wellbeing: If you are concerned about a child's wellbeing, please contact the Central Intake Team on 1800 273 889.

Crisis Care: Crisis Care provides Western Australia’s after-hours response to reported concerns for a child’s safety and wellbeing and information and referrals for people experiencing crisis.

Professional referrals: If you are a professional and want to report a concern about a child, please complete and submit the Professional Referral online form on the Concerns for the safety or wellbeing of a child or young person page.

Mandatory Reporting of Child Sexual Abuse: It is a legal requirement in Western Australia for doctors, nurses, midwives, teachers (including TAFE lecturers), police officers, youth justice workers, psychologists, school counsellors, boarding supervisors, ministers of religion, out-of-home care workers, early childhood workers, departmental officers of the Department of Communities and assessors appointed under section 125A of the Children and Community Services Act 2004 to report all reasonable beliefs of child sexual abuse  to the Department of Communities.