Page 3103 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 22 August 2017
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ACT Together is taking a very proactive approach in advertising across all kinds of media and to families of all kinds—a rainbow of families if you like—across our community. We welcome all types of families to be foster carers in our diverse community.
MRS KIKKERT: Minister, how many children in the ACT are currently awaiting suitable foster carers and how is the government providing for their needs in the meantime?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mrs Kikkert for her supplementary question. There is a process of identifying: some foster carers go through training and await a suitable placement. Sometimes children are placed with carers on a short-term basis with existing foster carers until other carers are available. Sometimes children have to go into residential care if there is no immediate care placement available.
I will take the specifics of how many children are currently awaiting a permanent placement, although that terminology in itself may prove to be interesting in this context. I will take the detail of the question on notice.
MS LAWDER: Minister, what specific steps is the ACT government taking to satisfy the urgent and growing need for foster carers, and what has Barnardos told you about the reasons for the shortage of foster carers?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Ms Lawder for her supplementary question. Recruitment of foster carers is an ongoing process and Barnardos is very actively out in the community recruiting foster carers and advertising in a wide range of media, holding forums and getting the community engaged in the conversation about the benefits of becoming a foster carer.
We have been very open; and we were in making the record commitment of almost $44 million in the most recent budget in child protection and out of home care. We were very open and clear that in part that was a commitment to increased demand across the child protection system. That, in part, in turn, is a feature or a consequence of increased awareness about the impact of family violence on children and young people. As we increase awareness, we increase the recording of those concerns and we need to respond to that. This government has responded to that with a record investment of almost $44 million in child protection and out of home care in this budget.
Health—regional aeromedical services
MS CODY: My question is to the Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Could the Minister please update the Assembly on how the new Toll aeromedical service has performed since it began in April 2017?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Ms Cody for her question and her interest in safety for all Canberrans. I was very pleased to officially launch the new SouthCare Toll rescue
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