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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 07 Hansard (Thursday, 1 July 2004) . . Page.. 3155 ..

Are these real concerns or just drummed-up assertions? The Vardon report itself highlighted concerns from families and carers with regard to the arrogant and often unfriendly attitude of the department—their words, not mine. I am just portraying today in this place the words spoken to me and the concerns and the angst that people in our community still have.

I also see for myself and talk with family after family in total despair as a result of children, particularly those in care, being taken away from them by family services, with absolutely no explanations as to why. Moreover, in many cases, the children themselves, which is the more important point here, have no say in their removal; and when carers seek information from the department, I can say in all honesty, their calls are rarely returned or insufficient explanations are given. A sad state of affairs!

Foster carers also suffer and can often be left high and dry. It is hoped that, as a direct result of the Vardon report, recommendations will be implemented in order that foster carers will now start to receive the support they seriously deserve. However, not wanting to sound like a broken record, unless we see those cultural changes I’ve talked about and a willingness to address the very valid concerns of foster carers, then the status quo will get worse and foster carers again will continue to leave the industry or new families will simply not put their hand up to help out.

I do note here and appreciate the minister’s efforts to inject some money into the foster care sector—I want that to be noted also—and I applaud her for that. The current system does not adequately protect children in foster care or, for that matter, foster carers themselves, despite how much the minister protests. It is simply naive and not true to continually say everything is working much better, because it is not; otherwise I wouldn’t keep getting the calls to my office. I have relayed many of these calls, the emails and all of the information that I get to Ms Gallagher and even to the Chief Minister himself in his capacity as minister responsible for the Community Advocate.

Foster carers who are provided with a child from an agency are not given any substantive understanding of the child’s history or mental health condition. This shroud of secrecy which envelopes the entire area of child protection services, while necessary in many instances, is a deep concern. Under the current system, foster carers are simply allocated a child by the department, with little, if any, idea of the child’s history or mental health concerns. This process in no way protects the foster carer or addresses the best interests of the child. Instead, we need a system that allows the carer and the child to have a greater say in the placement process. Moreover, when a placement does occur, carers need to be far better aware of the circumstances surrounding that particular foster child.

The protection of children in care is not just about violence and harm; it is also about the child’s best interests while in that care. If the current system adequately protects and therefore upholds the best interests of children, how many children, for example, in foster care in the ACT actually finish high school? Education should, Mr Speaker, be an absolute priority. But I guarantee that there are serious questions being raised by those in the sector, as we speak on this very point. I feel the minister and the department are unable to answer the question.

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