AFTER pioneering circle sentencing, Nowra is being called on to lead the way with a new method of looking after Aboriginal children at risk.

A revolutionary way of having Aboriginal offenders face the judgment of their peers and family members, circle sentencing started in Nowra in 2002 and has since spread across the State.

And now Nowra is being called on to pioneer a new program, in which respected members of the Aboriginal community will be consulted on child welfare cases involving Koori youngsters.

Called care circles, the program was launched on Friday by NSW Attorney General John Hatzistergos during a visit to Nowra.

He said the program would empower Aboriginal elders to help make decisions about the welfare of Aboriginal children at risk of abuse or neglect.

“When it comes to making difficult decisions about how best to protect Aboriginal children, we want the community to be involved,” Mr Hatzistergos said.

“The care circles program brings respected Aboriginal community members into

the decision making process to enable appropriate outcomes.”

The program will entail Children’s Court magistrates taking issues before a circle of participants including Aboriginal community members, family members of the child considered at risk, and case workers from the Department of Community Services.

The magistrate will then draft care plans based on the results of the discussions, including details of where the child should live, what contact they should have with their parents, and what support services should

be made available.

“Decisions will be made in a community setting with participants sitting in a circle to discuss what orders might best promote the future safety, welfare and wellbeing of the child,” Mr Hatzistergos said.

Like circle sentencing, care circles could be expanded to the rest of NSW if the trial proves successful in Nowra, Mr Hatzistergos said.

And he used the example of circle sentencing to show how Nowra Local Court was “one of the best in NSW”.