Mosese Raqio 
[Photo: File]
Fiji’s new child protection laws are on track to take effect from October, with regulations for the Child Care and Protection Act 2024 and Child Justice Act 2024 now finalised.
Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection says the regulations will soon go to Cabinet for endorsement before the two landmark laws commence in the first quarter of the financial year.
She says extensive consultations with the judiciary, police, prosecutors, Legal Aid Commission, Fiji Law Society and several government agencies were critical to developing coordinated systems to protect vulnerable children.
The new regulations will set strict requirements for the registration and monitoring of child protection agencies and children’s homes, including staffing ratios, safeguarding protocols and institutional accountability.
They will also strengthen mandatory reporting, secure information management and introduce strict timelines to ensure urgent child safety cases are assessed and acted on quickly.
The framework will give children and families a stronger voice in care planning, while ensuring their cultural, religious, family and community connections are respected.
The Minister says the regulations will also place greater emphasis on safe, stable and nurturing placements through stronger oversight of foster and institutional care.
She says the reforms represent a major undertaking aimed at strengthening Fiji’s child protection system and ensuring agencies work together to safeguard children.
