As someone who has experienced the failings of our child protection system firsthand, I know all too well the consequences of waiting for a situation to escalate to 'significant harm' before action is taken. On multiple occasions, I was left vulnerable because the system didn't intervene until it was too late.

Currently, the child protection laws rely on reaching a 'significant harm' threshold before the authorities can step in. This gap means that countless children are left without mandatory intervention until their situation deteriorates to extremes that can have lasting, sometimes permanent, effects on their well-being. Making help, parenting classes, support mandatory instead of voluntary could save so many children. 

In 2025 it was revealed that nearly 50,000 children were placed on the child protection register with over 633,000 referrals made to social care (NSPCC). 
This is a 79% increase since the COVID pandemic. 

Preventative measures should be implemented earlier to protect a child’s psychological and physical health and, ultimately, their future. By waiting, we may miss crucial opportunities to provide the necessary support and intervention that can alter the course of their lives for the better.

Many cases that have ended in the most devastating way have shown investigations where the child was known to services and failed by the system. Many reveal that the thresholds were met and no action taken or not enough. 

Statistics show that children who experience adverse environments are more likely to face challenges such as mental health issues, educational setbacks, and a higher likelihood of encountering the criminal justice system as adults. Each year, several reports of child neglect and abuse do not meet the severity required for mandatory action, leaving these children without the essential support they desperately need.

We must advocate for changes in the child protection law to adjust the threshold criteria from 'significant to likely' to a proactive approach that guarantees early detection and timely intervention. This change demands that child welfare authorities employ a more comprehensive assessment approach and that social services are mandated to provide support before significant harm occurs.

As somebody who has been failed by the system and been a child who has experienced all four times of abuse, please listen to us and hear us when we are telling you to help before it’s too late. 

We can bridge this critical gap in out protection systems and ensure a safer future for our children by changing the approach from reactive to an effective proactive system. 

Join this movement in urging policymakers to revise our current child protection legislation. By signing this petition, you are standing up for the countless children who deserve a safe and supportive environment now, not after harm has irreparably impacted their lives. Together, we can bridge this critical gap in our protection systems and ensure a safer future for our children. Sign today and be the voice that drives change!