Children's Court Clinic


Contact details
General enquiries
- Phone: (02) 8688 1530
- Email: schn-childrenscourtclinic@health.nsw.gov.au
- Street address: 2 George St, Parramatta (Cnr O'Connell St). View the map.
Postal address
Children's Court Clinic
Sydney Children's Hospitals Network
Locked Bag 4001
Westmead NSW 2145
The Clinic is part of the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network located in Parramatta.
The NSW Children's Court Clinic is established under section 15B of the Children’s Court Act 1987.
The Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 recognises that caring for children and young people is a responsibility shared by families, agencies and communities working in partnership. It also places emphasis on government departments working cooperatively to provide services to meet the needs of children and families.
- Read The Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998. Division 6 'Examination and assessment orders' pertains to the role of the Children's Court Clinic.
The clinic assists the Children’s Court and higher courts in care and protection matters by providing independent expert clinical assessments of:
- children and young persons, and/ or
- the capacity of parents and others to carry out parental responsibility.
An assessment report by the clinic is taken to be an independent report to the court rather than evidence tendered by a party (section 59, the Care Act). The Children’s Court Clinic Authorised Clinician who prepares a report is available to the court for cross-examination.
For more information about who we are, have a look at our guides:
What we do
Located in Parramatta, the Children's Court Clinic consists of a small unit of staff responsible for managing the statewide service, along with expert clinicians who conduct assessments.
The clinic contracts a number of accredited specialists known as 'Authorised Clinicians', who provide independent assessments for Children's and District Courts.
Magistrates and judges request assessment orders via the clinic when they require expert assessments in relation to particular cases. The clinic then refers the matter to the most appropriate Authorised Clinician who undertakes the assessment and writes a report. This report is sent to the court to help the magistrate or judge make a decision in the best interests of the child or children.
Getting here
The Children's Court Clinic at Parramatta is located in the NSW Children's Court building. View the map.
Our opening hours are 8:30-4:30 Monday to Friday. The clinic is closed between 1-2:00 pm each day.
Travel directions
- By car: There is no parking available at the Children’s Court Clinic. However, there is metered street parking in Parramatta, 2-hour parking at Parramatta Pool, and all-day parking at Parramatta Stadium (parking fees apply).
- By train: Parramatta railway station is within easy walking distance, just down Church St, then turn left at George St towards the Tudor Gatehouse.
Feedback and complaints
For more information on complaints management, please see the policy documents below.