❓ Hon Sue Ellery questions the Minister for Child Protection regarding increased demand on the Family Inclusion Network (FinWA) and requests increased funding to support family reunification. The Minister acknowledges the demand but declines to commit to increased funding.
AnsweredQoN 114Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
FAMILY INCLUSION
NETWORK — INCREASED SERVICES AND FUNDING
114. Hon SUE ELLERY to the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the Family
Inclusion Network of WA service providing advocacy and assistance to those
parents whose children have been taken into care.
(1) Is the minister aware that because of an
increase in demand for its services, the Family Inclusion Network is meeting
well above its current target of 50 families and is seeing between 70 and 80 families
annually and has been forced to limit the assistance it can provide to only
those families with a child under two years of age in care?
(2) Given that the assistance FinWA provides
can make a real difference to ensuring quicker reunification for those families
when it is safe to do so, will the minister commit to increasing the network's
funding; and, if not, why not?
NETWORK — INCREASED SERVICES AND FUNDING
114. Hon SUE ELLERY to the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the Family
Inclusion Network of WA service providing advocacy and assistance to those
parents whose children have been taken into care.
(1) Is the minister aware that because of an
increase in demand for its services, the Family Inclusion Network is meeting
well above its current target of 50 families and is seeing between 70 and 80 families
annually and has been forced to limit the assistance it can provide to only
those families with a child under two years of age in care?
(2) Given that the assistance FinWA provides
can make a real difference to ensuring quicker reunification for those families
when it is safe to do so, will the minister commit to increasing the network's
funding; and, if not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Yes, I did know that and no I
will not be committing anything here. We did put more money in the budget last
year for reunification and we increased the number of families we can help. I
am quite happy to meet with members of Family Inclusion Network if they want to
come and see me but they have not asked for an appointment.
The PRESIDENT : Because I believe it is Hon Sally Talbot' s twenty-third birthday, I will give the call
to her!
Hon Sally Talbot : I think Mr President might have got the
numbers backwards!
will not be committing anything here. We did put more money in the budget last
year for reunification and we increased the number of families we can help. I
am quite happy to meet with members of Family Inclusion Network if they want to
come and see me but they have not asked for an appointment.
The PRESIDENT : Because I believe it is Hon Sally Talbot' s twenty-third birthday, I will give the call
to her!
Hon Sally Talbot : I think Mr President might have got the
numbers backwards!
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