Welcome to the Children's Guardian

The NSW Children's Guardian is an independent statutory office set up to promote the best interests and rights of children and young people in out-of-home care in New South Wales. The Children's Guardian is part of the NSW Department of Education and Communities.

The Children's Guardian reports directly to the Minister for Family and Community Services. The Children's Guardian can make special reports to the Minister or directly to the Parliament of NSW.

The NSW Children's Guardian Office is located at:

Suite 1, Level 13 418A Elizabeth St Surry Hills  NSW  2010

Tel: (02 ) 8219 3600

Fax: (02) 8219 3699

The NSW Standards for Statutory Out-of-Home Care

The Children's Guardian has streamlined the NSW Standards for Statutory Out-of-Home Care.

The NSW Standards for Statutory Out-of-Home Care are used by the Children’s Guardian for the accreditation and quality improvement of statutory out-of-home care services in NSW.

The Standards establish minimum requirements for accreditation as a designated agency and also provide a framework for continuous improvement in the quality of statutory out-of-home care services. See the Standards here

Want To Know About?

  Cooperative arrangements between the Children's Guardian, Ombudsman and Official Community Visitors

The Children's Guardian, Ombudsman and Official Community Visitors (OCVs) are committed to working with each other, and with agencies that provide residential out-of-home care, to promote the best interests of children and young people in residential out-of-home care.The Children's Guardian, Ombudsman and OCVs have separate, but related, functions in relation to residential out-of-home care services and children and young people in residential out-of-home care. Click here to download the fact sheet (produced by the NSW Ombudsman)

 Guidelines regarding the removal of organs and tissue from a deceased child or young person in the care of the State

The Human Tissue Act 1983 was amended in 2009 to enable children and young people in the care of the State to be considered as eligible organ and tissue donors. Up until this amendment, the removal of organs and tissue from a deceased child or young person in the care of the State was not permitted - even where they had indicated this be to their wish and where the birth and foster parents consented to the donation. The Children's Guardian has developed procedures for Principal Officers of designated agencies to follow when they are contacted by a hospital to obtain consents for organ and tissue donation under the Human Tissue Act 1983. Learn more about Request under the Human Tissue Act 1983 to remove organ and tissue from a deceased child in the care of the State.