Page 1333 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 June 2020
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in some cases has been reduced by your government to only four times per year. Minister, how frequently are contact provisions reduced below what has been ordered or recommended by Childrens Court magistrates, and how do you justify this?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mrs Kikkert for the question and remind her again that, when she talks about decisions made by the government, there is a very clear role in the Children and Young People Act for the director-general and the directorate, and the minister is not a decision-maker in child and youth protection matters. I have had to remind Mrs Kikkert of this a number of times, but I do so again here today, for the benefit of the Assembly.
I think what Mrs Kikkert is referring to is that often when matters go to the Childrens Court, they go with a care plan that the Childrens Court magistrate considers in making orders for children and young people. Those care plans are the subject of change over time, often through meetings of the care team or as a result of changed circumstances or reconsideration of the best interests of children and young people.
Child and youth protection services operates on the basis of what is in the best interests of children and young people. Very often, people advocate, using that as the basis for their advocacy, but they are advocating for an adult in the system, whether that is a birth parent, foster carer or kinship carer. All of those people have a legitimate interest—
Mrs Kikkert: On a point of order, Madam Speaker, my question is: how many contact provisions have been reduced below what has been ordered or recommended by Childrens Court magistrates, and how do you justify this? Whether the minister has any decisions in this or not, she has the authority to actually ask for this information.
MADAM SPEAKER: Ms Stephen-Smith.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I am happy to take the detail of Mrs Kikkert’s question on notice, noting that I am not sure that the premise of her question is accurate, so I am not sure that the detail will be able to be provided in the way that she would like it to be provided because of the way that decisions are made in the Childrens Court. I would yet again emphasise that child and youth protection— (Time expired.)
MRS KIKKERT: Minister, can you assure this Assembly that contact is never reduced or limited as a means of trying to control a birth parent who is seen as difficult to work with or too quick to complain?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I can assure Mrs Kikkert and the Assembly that decisions are made in the best interests of children and young people. That is the priority.
MS LAWDER: Minister, how does reducing the contact ordered or recommended by the expert opinion of the court support the care and protection principle that states that a child’s contact with his or her family must be encouraged?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Ms Lawder for the supplementary question. There are many processes that are gone through in relation to both developing and ongoing
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