Page 1729 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 9 May 2018
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(ii) addressing offending behaviours; and
(iii) the delivery of a trauma informed service; and
(f) work with nationally recognised and accredited organisations to make sure best practice is reflected at each stage of the process and in all aspects of this work undertaken.”.
I commend my amendment to the Assembly.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Community Services and Social Inclusion, Minister for Disability, Children and Youth, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations) (5.39): I also want to note the significant impact that foetal alcohol syndrome disorder, FASD, can have on an individual’s life outcomes and thank Mrs Kikkert for raising this important matter in the Assembly. However, as others note, this is only one part of a more complex picture, particularly in the context of youth justice. For this reason, I will be supporting Minister Rattenbury’s amendment, which reflects the status of national work on FASD and the support provided to young people in Bimberi.
The effects of alcohol and other drug use by a mother during the gestation of a child can affect a person for life. Many of the effects of maternal alcohol use are multifactorial and may be associated with poor nutrition, infections and other environmental factors. All of these can combine to adversely affect the growth and development of a child. It is important, as others have said, that we therefore act early to support mothers during pregnancy and work with women during the prenatal period. Good prenatal care and support for mothers and their children from birth are a vital step in ensuring the healthy growth and development of a child. An important part of this is community awareness of the potential dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. As Mrs Kikkert noted, there is a simple but critical message to promote: there is no safe level of drinking during pregnancy.
For vulnerable children and their families, including those at risk of or affected by FASD, early intervention is fundamental. The ACT government’s three child and family centres in Tuggeranong, Gungahlin and west Belconnen provide a one-stop shop for supporting families during a child’s early years of life. This includes access to maternal and child health services. The child and family centres are staffed by highly skilled, experienced and qualified practitioners with social work, psychology, specialised nursing and other health, welfare and education qualifications. The staff at the centres work to provide a range of universal, targeted and tailored services based on the needs of children and their families, with a strong emphasis on providing outreach services in homes, schools and the community—going to where the people are, Madam Speaker. That includes strong engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community partners.
For families living in the ACT who have concerns about their child’s development—as we have heard, FASD can manifest in behavioural and learning difficulties—the ACT government’s child development service offers assessment, referral, information and linkages for children zero to six years. The child development service has an
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