Page 415 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 18 February 2020
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MR GENTLEMAN: Those are operational matters that we provide resourcing to ACT Policing for. As I said, for the last budget there was $34 million, which the people opposite voted against.
Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders—child protection
MS CODY: My question is to the Minister for Children, Youth and Families. Minister, with the Our Booris, Our Way review completed, what is the ACT government doing to lower the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the child protection system?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Ms Cody for her question and for her interest in the very important issue of reducing the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out of home care and in the child protection system.
Through the midyear budget review, the ACT government is investing almost $4.4 million over four years so that more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children can grow up safely with their family, connected to community and culture. I am very pleased that we are able to provide funding to Gugan Gulwan and OzChild to continue to deliver functional family therapy. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, through the Our Booris, Our Way review, confirmed the importance of this program.
This investment through the midyear review also allows us to expand family group conferencing, growing the program from two to three facilitators. This means more families being supported to make family plans about how best to keep their children safe, strong and connected.
The midyear review will also fund an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander designated senior practitioner to provide culturally appropriate and responsive practice to frontline child and youth protection services—or CYPS—case managers. Their role is to manage a number of complex cases and, through practice leadership, to mentor and coach new staff about how best to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families involved with child protection.
I have been clear, as has the community, that there is no quick fix to address the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the out of home care system, but that action is urgent. Every jurisdiction faces this challenge. But we are starting to see progress because we have put some solutions and services in the hands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They are the experts in their own lives and culture, and it is indeed our job to listen to them and to act.
MS CODY: Minister, how will these investments keep children safe and more families together?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Ms Cody for her supplementary. Through the ACT government’s support of these programs to date, and the internal work within child and youth protection services to build a culturally aware and responsive
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