A parliamentary question seeks clarification on the criteria and number of young people in care who have turned 18 during the COVID-19 state of emergency in Western Australia, specifically regarding their ability to remain in their current placements.

AnsweredQoN 676Legislative Council
Asked
24 June 2020
Portfolio
Child Protection

QuestionView source ↗

CORONAVIRUS —
YOUNG PEOPLE IN CARE
676. Hon PETER COLLIER to
the Leader of the House representing the Minister for Child Protection:
I ask this question on behalf of Hon
Nick Goiran, who is on urgent parliamentary business.
I refer to question without notice 435
and the minister's answer that the Department of Communities is
supporting young people in care who turn 18 during this uncertain COVID-19 period,
and that those young people may be supported to remain in their current
placement.
(1) What criteria
would need to be met for a young person to be able to remain at their current
placement upon turning 18?
(2) How many
young people in care have turned 18 since Western Australia first entered the
current state of emergency?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) The criteria
would include, first, the young person's willingness and consent to
remain in the current placement, given the young person has turned 18 and is
now considered an adult, and, second, the capacity and willingness of the carer
to maintain the current placement.
(2) As at 15 June 2020, 49 young people in care have
turned 18 since the state of emergency in Western Australia was declared
on 15 March 2020.

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