Increasing child protection notifications through an expansion of mandatory reporting is no gold coin to child safety, Anglicare Victoria said today.

Anglicare Victoria CEO Dr Ray Cleary said that while more could be done to enhance the reporting system, the real focus should be on better training for child protection staff and improving outcomes for vulnerable children in out-of-home care.

"The current system of reporting could be fine-tuned but there is more to be gained through improved resources for child protection staff and access to a range of high quality out-of-home care options," said Dr Cleary.

"Receiving a notification of abuse or neglect is just one step in a long process to protect children.

"Once a notification has been received, staff need to be available to effectively investigate the claim and trained to make the right decision.

"If a child is removed from the family they need to then be placed in a nurturing foster family or in a residential unit and supported through a very difficult time."

Over the past three years there has been a 25 per cent increase in the number of children who need care but a steady decline in the families available to care for them. In 2006/07 there was a net loss of 400 foster cares.

"Without clear pathways to quality care, we risk creating a logjam as child protection staff assess increasing numbers of notifications but lack appropriate alternatives to care for the children.

"It's an issue that needs the commitment of the whole community to overcome.

There is the need for more financial assistance but this alone will not prevent children from abuse and neglect. All families must accept responsibly for the nurture, care and well being of children and not shift responsibility to the child protection system alone.

"Child protection systems alone cannot ensure safety. We, the community, must also play our part in ensuring our children are protected within our families."

Dr Cleary said calls for a Judicial Inquiry into Victoria's child protection system were premature and could divert crucial funding.

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