The 2006 amendments to Australia's Family Law Act were hailed as progressive reforms designed to promote children's relationships with both parents after separation. But what if these changes actually made children less safe? What if the evidence shows children were better protected before this ideological shift?

In this eye-opening episode, we expose how well-intentioned policy created a 20-year disaster for the protection of children in Australia's family law system. Before 2006, the typical every-other-weekend arrangement actually limited children's exposure to harmful patterns while maintaining connections with non-primary caregivers. The mathematics is simple but shocking: we went from minimising children's exposure to trauma to maximising it, all in the name of "progress".

The 2006 amendments introduced a presumption of equal shared parental responsibility that quickly became interpreted as pressure for equal or significant time arrangements. The result? Safety concerns became viewed as obstacles, protective parents were labelled as "alienators", and family violence was reframed as "conflict" to avoid interfering with maximum contact.

This policy failure directly created the professional incompetence crisis we see today. Family report writers, lawyers, judges and others weren't trained to identify coercive control - the focus was on overcoming obstacles to maximum contact. Even with recent changes to the Family Law Act, twenty years of harmful ideology will take time to shift.

Join me as we examine this failed experiment and look toward evidence-based reform that truly protects children. Don't miss the next episode where I'll share strategies to help protective parents navigate this broken system while advocating for the changes our children deserve.

About Danielle Black:

Danielle Black is a respected authority in child-focused post-separation parenting in Australia. With over twenty years’ experience in education, counselling and coaching - and her own lived experience navigating a complex separation - she helps parents advocate strategically and protect their children’s safety and wellbeing.

Learn more at danielleblackcoaching.com.au
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This podcast is for educational purposes only and not legal advice. Please seek independent legal, medical, financial, or mental health advice for your situation.