A 25-year veteran of the child and family welfare sector has called for improved court support for babies and children in a new report, and is urging the establishment of Specialist Infant Court pilot programs in Australian jurisdictions, along with "vital reforms and consultations with First Nations communities".

Matt Wilson has worked in statutory, clinical, leadership and managerial roles across the child and family welfare sector, and most recently in the Children's Court of Victoria.

As a 2020 Churchill Fellow, Mr Wilson is investigating "innovative, proven, Court-based approaches to the complexity and vulnerability of infants and their families in care and protection jurisdictions throughout the United States and United Kingdom".

On Wednesday Mr Wilson said the wellbeing and care of babies and children "are paramount, as they are our most vulnerable and deserving of our utmost attention and protection".

Mr Wilson recently returned from the USA and UK to investigate "innovative court-based approaches" to infants in care and protection proceedings.

"Current Australian approaches lack expert understanding of parent-child relationships, hindering interventions in out-of-home care," he said.

As Statewide Program Manager of the Children's Court of Victoria's Family Drug Treatment Court, Mr Wilson led the program to being awarded the 2019 Victorian Protecting Children Awards' Robin Clarke 'Making a Difference Award' – the first award of its kind to be awarded to the Court.

His research Fellowship in the USA and UK exposes shortcomings in current Australian approaches, hindering interventions in out-of-home care. His report highlights "the effectiveness of Child-Parent Psychotherapy and solution-focused specialist infant courts, resulting in quicker exits from care and reduced abuse".

"The welfare of our most vulnerable children deserves utmost attention and protection," he said.

Mr Wilson's report is available online.