Page 509 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 23 February 2010
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I understand that often a carer’s role is hidden. Today I wish to acknowledge the valuable work that carers perform that keeps our community functioning. The needs of carers are diverse and opportunities to access support, such as respite, need to be tailored, particularly for young carers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers, and carers from multicultural backgrounds. The ACT government is mindful of the diverse needs of carers and ensures that these are considered in the development of policy and programs to better support our carers.
I would like to highlight the work of kinship and foster carers that Ms Hunter also spoke of. There are approximately 500 children and young people living in out-of-home care arrangements across the ACT. As of last week, 415 children and young people are being looked after by kinship and foster carers. Their support often goes unrecognised. I wish to thank carers who take children and young people into their family homes and care for them at times when they are vulnerable. Carers offer these children much needed stability and support.
Ms Hunter outlined a few of the activities that this government is committed to, such as supporting kinship and grandparent carers. I can assure Ms Hunter that I am committed to getting those activities up sooner rather than later because they are indeed a valuable focus of our community and they do a commendable job.
The ACT government provides $300 million a year for placements, in addition to providing case management and working with our community partners to provide support. I am proud to be part of a government that has proactively supported carers. The ACT was one of the first jurisdictions in Australia to develop a caring for the carers policy and to introduce legislative reform. The policy embodies the government’s commitment to better acknowledge and support ACT carers. The policy aims to provide a basis for improving supports and the health and wellbeing of carers and the people they care for by recognising the social, economic and health risks that confront carers.
The policy is underpinned by seven key principles that acknowledge the importance of recognising and valuing the carer’s role and supporting carer participation at all levels of decision making while respecting the rights and choices of people receiving care. The ACT government developed an action plan that outlined commitments to meet the objectives of the caring-for-the-carers policy. We have honoured the commitments we made to better address the range of needs of carers and the people who receive care. All 13 of the strategies under the action plan were achieved.
I am also pleased to advise that the ACT has reviewed our carers policy. The review confirmed that the caring-for-the-carers policy and principles remain relevant. There is clear support from the community for the direction the ACT government is taking in supporting carers. The action plan was found to have delivered positive outcomes for carers in the areas of information, support and awareness raising.
We have come a long way since we introduced the policy and action plan to better support carers in our community. Whilst we have achieved a great deal in working in partnership with individual carers and non-government organisations to support the work of carers, the ACT government understands that there is more to be done.
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