Page 1234 - Week 04 - Thursday, 21 March 2013
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As part of its response, the government committed to the development of the blueprint for youth justice in the ACT that was released in August last year. This key strategic plan will continue to guide and deliver reforms to the ACT youth justice system over the next 10 years. Importantly, this is about achieving lasting change in the lives of young people and their families by focusing on early intervention and diversion approaches.
I would like now to talk about the proposed amendment to revoke a foster carer’s or a residential care service’s authorisation in specific circumstances. The ACT government has a longstanding commitment to support our most vulnerable, including children and young people in out-of-home care. Before I go on, I would like to acknowledge the vital role of our foster carers in the lives of children and young people who, for a range of reasons, are unable to live with their own families.
Thank you to those Canberrans who have opened their homes and their hearts. I also acknowledge the Foster Care Association of the ACT for its work in assisting carers to do their best for vulnerable children and young people. I am sure many of you would be aware of the stringent requirements that are involved in becoming a foster carer or to register a service to provide residential care.
The proposed amendment will enable the revocation of a foster carer or residential care service when they have not provided any regular care in the previous 12 months and are no longer willing or able to provide it, or when the foster carer cannot be contacted. This will assist in ensuring the accuracy of the Community Services Directorate’s records.
The final proposed amendment seeks to clarify when information can be placed on the children and young people deaths register that is maintained by the Children and Young People Death Review Committee. The amendment will make it clear that any coronial inquest or review by the territory must have ended before any information can be placed on the register of deaths.
In this way, the function of the committee as the last mechanism of review following the death of a child or young person is ensured. This amendment will assist the committee to perform its important functions, including helping to prevent or to reduce the likelihood of the death of children and young people.
In the spirit of upholding the rights and the best interests of the most vulnerable children and young people in the ACT, I commend the government for introducing this bill and its amendments.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (12.12): The ACT Greens will be supporting this bill today. Indeed, we are pleased to see that some important changes to the Children and Young People Act are at last being implemented. We particularly welcome the amendments relating to strip searches of children and use of force, in spite of the delays in getting them to the Assembly and then the further delays in getting them through.
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