Page 3140 - Week 07 - Thursday, 30 June 2011
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Care and protection, and in particular grandparents and kinship carers, is an issue where we have seen a complete lack of care from this minister. Last year in the estimates hearings representatives of the Grandparents and Kinship Carers Association described the ACT government care and protection service’s attitude towards them and the children in their care as institutionalised abuse. This year they were asked whether this was still the case and they confirmed that it was.
Last year in the estimates hearing, representatives of the Grandparents and Kinship Carers Association called on the government to deliver on its 2008 election promise that $800,000 over four years would be provided to non-government agencies to support grandparents and kinship carers. This year they again called for that promise to be delivered.
I have forgotten the number of times I have asked questions about the delivery of that promise to provide $800,000 over four years to a non-government agency. I am still waiting for a straight and clear answer to those questions. All that has been revealed so far is that the government paid $40,000 a year to Marymead, and snaffled for itself $60,000. The government should not be taking $60,000 a year from funds promised to the non-government sector.
Just as the Liberal Party is repaying the $10,000 it received from the community grants program, so this ACT Labor government should return to the community sector the $60,000 a year of the funds intended for this non-government community organisation which is providing such an important service to the community. We are now almost three years into a four-year commitment from this government. Almost $600,000 should have been spent by now, but only $40,000 a year has actually gone to any community-based organisation. Minister Burch has done nothing.
Grandparents and kinship carers do not get the same level of government assistance for their care of kin who are in the care of care and protection as do foster carers of young people who are in the care and protection system.
Minister Burch has produced a handbook for carers but has provided no additional support for grandparents and kinship carers along the lines promised at the 2008 election for people who face special and unique difficulties in the care of their kin who are in the care of the care and protection system. But Minister Burch has done nothing.
I will draw members’ attention to some of the highlights of the attendance at the estimates committee of the president of Grandparents and Kinship Carers (ACT) Inc, Ms Marion Le, and Ms Sue Mannion, the president of the Foster Carers Association. Ms Mannion and Ms Le came together, Madam Assistant Speaker, as you might recall, because they wanted to show a united front. They believe that they are in the same game, doing the same job, and they just have different titles. But whether they are foster carers or kinship carers, they are providing a vital service. I will quote some of the things:
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