❓ Ms. Beard raises concerns about unsupervised children's antisocial behaviour in regional areas, particularly Meekatharra and Carnarvon, and questions the adequacy of child protection resources. The Minister acknowledges the work of child protection workers, highlights government investment, and reframes the issue as one requiring early intervention and community support.
AnsweredQoN 687Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CHILD PROTECTION — CRIME AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
687. Ms M. BEARD to the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the antisocial behaviour
of unsupervised children, including those under the age of 10 years, across the
regions, but particularly in Meekatharra and Carnarvon, who are causing
significant angst and danger to the community, vandalising property, using keys
on cars and windows, stealing and shoplifting, smashing houses, lighting fires and
all with no accountability or consequences.
(1) Does the
minister acknowledge that a lack of child protection resources in the regions
is resulting in a shortfall in the protection of vulnerable children?
(2) As a priority,
will the minister commit to providing additional resources to assist the
existing, very hardworking and dedicated workers in Meekatharra and Carnarvon?
687. Ms M. BEARD to the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the antisocial behaviour
of unsupervised children, including those under the age of 10 years, across the
regions, but particularly in Meekatharra and Carnarvon, who are causing
significant angst and danger to the community, vandalising property, using keys
on cars and windows, stealing and shoplifting, smashing houses, lighting fires and
all with no accountability or consequences.
(1) Does the
minister acknowledge that a lack of child protection resources in the regions
is resulting in a shortfall in the protection of vulnerable children?
(2) As a priority,
will the minister commit to providing additional resources to assist the
existing, very hardworking and dedicated workers in Meekatharra and Carnarvon?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question because it allows me the opportunity to
publicly acknowledge in this place the incredible work that child protection
workers do each and every day. They do extraordinary things in places like
Meekatharra and Carnarvon, which the member specifically referred to but, of
course, right around the state. It is my great pleasure that I have travelled
right around the state and met with them, talking with hundreds of them about
what the priorities are and what they need support with to make sure that they
can continue to support vulnerable children and families. The question from the
member opposite is a convoluted gathering of every single social issue that
somehow attaches child protection workers as a key responsibility for all the
issues that are happening throughout the state. Let me tell the member this:
child protection workers are a key element in supporting families and children.
As a government we know that, and we have invested significantly since 2017 to
grow the child protection workforce because we know the critical role that it
plays in the community. We have employed over 225 FTE since coming into
government, an uplift of 30 per cent. I challenge anyone to compare that record
with the record of the previous Liberal–National government. Of course,
when I talk to child protection workers around the state, they tell me about
the kinds of things they need to support families. It is about supporting
foster carers, which we are doing. Just recently, there was a $17 million
uplift to make sure that we continue to
support foster carers and family carers, who do an incredible job in supporting families. It is about early intervention, with some $136 million in early
intervention programs right around the state going to the heart of this.
Children and families should not be labelled in such a negative way as the
question that has come my way implied; rather, we need to acknowledge the best
in people. We know that early intervention is the key to making a difference in
our community. I can assure the member for North West Central that this
government will continue to invest in communities. Communities always know what
they need best, and I will continue to support communities with place-based
approaches that support the communities as well as making sure that we have a well-resourced
child protection workforce to continue to do the incredible work that they do
in our communities.
thank the member for the question because it allows me the opportunity to
publicly acknowledge in this place the incredible work that child protection
workers do each and every day. They do extraordinary things in places like
Meekatharra and Carnarvon, which the member specifically referred to but, of
course, right around the state. It is my great pleasure that I have travelled
right around the state and met with them, talking with hundreds of them about
what the priorities are and what they need support with to make sure that they
can continue to support vulnerable children and families. The question from the
member opposite is a convoluted gathering of every single social issue that
somehow attaches child protection workers as a key responsibility for all the
issues that are happening throughout the state. Let me tell the member this:
child protection workers are a key element in supporting families and children.
As a government we know that, and we have invested significantly since 2017 to
grow the child protection workforce because we know the critical role that it
plays in the community. We have employed over 225 FTE since coming into
government, an uplift of 30 per cent. I challenge anyone to compare that record
with the record of the previous Liberal–National government. Of course,
when I talk to child protection workers around the state, they tell me about
the kinds of things they need to support families. It is about supporting
foster carers, which we are doing. Just recently, there was a $17 million
uplift to make sure that we continue to
support foster carers and family carers, who do an incredible job in supporting families. It is about early intervention, with some $136 million in early
intervention programs right around the state going to the heart of this.
Children and families should not be labelled in such a negative way as the
question that has come my way implied; rather, we need to acknowledge the best
in people. We know that early intervention is the key to making a difference in
our community. I can assure the member for North West Central that this
government will continue to invest in communities. Communities always know what
they need best, and I will continue to support communities with place-based
approaches that support the communities as well as making sure that we have a well-resourced
child protection workforce to continue to do the incredible work that they do
in our communities.
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