❓ Dr. Constable questions the Minister about a 46.3% increase in children in state care since 1997. The Minister attributes the rise to more complex issues like drug abuse and family breakdowns, requiring increased government funding and support for initiatives like the CREATE Foundation.
AnsweredQoN 580Legislative Assembly
Asked
26 November 2001
Member
Portfolio
Community Development, Women’s Interests, Seniors and Youth
QuestionView source ↗
CHILDREN IN CARE
I refer to the minister’s brief ministerial statement today in which she stated - On 30 June this year 1 633 children and young people were in care - an increase of 46.3 per cent since 1997. What reasons can the minister give for this amazing increase over four years in the number of children in the care of the State? Ms McHALE
I refer to the minister’s brief ministerial statement today in which she stated - On 30 June this year 1 633 children and young people were in care - an increase of 46.3 per cent since 1997. What reasons can the minister give for this amazing increase over four years in the number of children in the care of the State? Ms McHALE
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for her question. She is right that over four years there has been a significant increase in the number of children in care, both as wards of the State and in a voluntary capacity. When the Government saw the dramatic rise in those figures, it realised that it must find different ways to address that problem; hence the additional funding that the Government has provided this year. To answer the member’s question directly, increasingly over the past number of years, the reasons for children going into care have become much more complex. Perhaps 10 or 20 years ago, typically a child would go into care because of neglect or malnutrition. The effects of family breakdowns and the complexities associated with those sorts of situations are now being seen. Increasingly, children go into care because of drug-related problems. A whole range of other factors underpin the rise in the number of children going into care. In general terms, the complexity of cases is much more significant than it was 10 or 20 years ago. As a result, children are staying in care longer, and that is also affecting the overall figures. However, the Government has recognised that. That, in part, was one of the reasons that I supported the establishment of the CREATE Foundation, which is about giving children in care an opportunity to express what is happening in care, to be part of looking at solutions to deal with the problem, and also the additional funding. Drug abuse, sexual abuse, family breakdowns and neglect are involved, but the underlying reasons for the increase are complex.
Ms McHALE replied: I thank the member for her question. She is right that over four years there has been a significant increase in the number of children in care, both as wards of the State and in a voluntary capacity. When the Government saw the dramatic rise in those figures, it realised that it must find different ways to address that problem; hence the additional funding that the Government has provided this year. To answer the member’s question directly, increasingly over the past number of years, the reasons for children going into care have become much more complex. Perhaps 10 or 20 years ago, typically a child would go into care because of neglect or malnutrition. The effects of family breakdowns and the complexities associated with those sorts of situations are now being seen. Increasingly, children go into care because of drug-related problems. A whole range of other factors underpin the rise in the number of children going into care. In general terms, the complexity of cases is much more significant than it was 10 or 20 years ago. As a result, children are staying in care longer, and that is also affecting the overall figures. However, the Government has recognised that. That, in part, was one of the reasons that I supported the establishment of the CREATE Foundation, which is about giving children in care an opportunity to express what is happening in care, to be part of looking at solutions to deal with the problem, and also the additional funding. Drug abuse, sexual abuse, family breakdowns and neglect are involved, but the underlying reasons for the increase are complex.
I thank the member for her question. She is right that over four years there has been a significant increase in the number of children in care, both as wards of the State and in a voluntary capacity. When the Government saw the dramatic rise in those figures, it realised that it must find different ways to address that problem; hence the additional funding that the Government has provided this year. To answer the member’s question directly, increasingly over the past number of years, the reasons for children going into care have become much more complex. Perhaps 10 or 20 years ago, typically a child would go into care because of neglect or malnutrition. The effects of family breakdowns and the complexities associated with those sorts of situations are now being seen. Increasingly, children go into care because of drug-related problems. A whole range of other factors underpin the rise in the number of children going into care. In general terms, the complexity of cases is much more significant than it was 10 or 20 years ago. As a result, children are staying in care longer, and that is also affecting the overall figures. However, the Government has recognised that. That, in part, was one of the reasons that I supported the establishment of the CREATE Foundation, which is about giving children in care an opportunity to express what is happening in care, to be part of looking at solutions to deal with the problem, and also the additional funding. Drug abuse, sexual abuse, family breakdowns and neglect are involved, but the underlying reasons for the increase are complex.
To answer the member’s question directly, increasingly over the past number of years, the reasons for children going into care have become much more complex. Perhaps 10 or 20 years ago, typically a child would go into care because of neglect or malnutrition. The effects of family breakdowns and the complexities associated with those sorts of situations are now being seen. Increasingly, children go into care because of drug-related problems. A whole range of other factors underpin the rise in the number of children going into care. In general terms, the complexity of cases is much more significant than it was 10 or 20 years ago. As a result, children are staying in care longer, and that is also affecting the overall figures. However, the Government has recognised that. That, in part, was one of the reasons that I supported the establishment of the CREATE Foundation, which is about giving children in care an opportunity to express what is happening in care, to be part of looking at solutions to deal with the problem, and also the additional funding. Drug abuse, sexual abuse, family breakdowns and neglect are involved, but the underlying reasons for the increase are complex.
Ms McHALE replied: I thank the member for her question. She is right that over four years there has been a significant increase in the number of children in care, both as wards of the State and in a voluntary capacity. When the Government saw the dramatic rise in those figures, it realised that it must find different ways to address that problem; hence the additional funding that the Government has provided this year. To answer the member’s question directly, increasingly over the past number of years, the reasons for children going into care have become much more complex. Perhaps 10 or 20 years ago, typically a child would go into care because of neglect or malnutrition. The effects of family breakdowns and the complexities associated with those sorts of situations are now being seen. Increasingly, children go into care because of drug-related problems. A whole range of other factors underpin the rise in the number of children going into care. In general terms, the complexity of cases is much more significant than it was 10 or 20 years ago. As a result, children are staying in care longer, and that is also affecting the overall figures. However, the Government has recognised that. That, in part, was one of the reasons that I supported the establishment of the CREATE Foundation, which is about giving children in care an opportunity to express what is happening in care, to be part of looking at solutions to deal with the problem, and also the additional funding. Drug abuse, sexual abuse, family breakdowns and neglect are involved, but the underlying reasons for the increase are complex.
I thank the member for her question. She is right that over four years there has been a significant increase in the number of children in care, both as wards of the State and in a voluntary capacity. When the Government saw the dramatic rise in those figures, it realised that it must find different ways to address that problem; hence the additional funding that the Government has provided this year. To answer the member’s question directly, increasingly over the past number of years, the reasons for children going into care have become much more complex. Perhaps 10 or 20 years ago, typically a child would go into care because of neglect or malnutrition. The effects of family breakdowns and the complexities associated with those sorts of situations are now being seen. Increasingly, children go into care because of drug-related problems. A whole range of other factors underpin the rise in the number of children going into care. In general terms, the complexity of cases is much more significant than it was 10 or 20 years ago. As a result, children are staying in care longer, and that is also affecting the overall figures. However, the Government has recognised that. That, in part, was one of the reasons that I supported the establishment of the CREATE Foundation, which is about giving children in care an opportunity to express what is happening in care, to be part of looking at solutions to deal with the problem, and also the additional funding. Drug abuse, sexual abuse, family breakdowns and neglect are involved, but the underlying reasons for the increase are complex.
To answer the member’s question directly, increasingly over the past number of years, the reasons for children going into care have become much more complex. Perhaps 10 or 20 years ago, typically a child would go into care because of neglect or malnutrition. The effects of family breakdowns and the complexities associated with those sorts of situations are now being seen. Increasingly, children go into care because of drug-related problems. A whole range of other factors underpin the rise in the number of children going into care. In general terms, the complexity of cases is much more significant than it was 10 or 20 years ago. As a result, children are staying in care longer, and that is also affecting the overall figures. However, the Government has recognised that. That, in part, was one of the reasons that I supported the establishment of the CREATE Foundation, which is about giving children in care an opportunity to express what is happening in care, to be part of looking at solutions to deal with the problem, and also the additional funding. Drug abuse, sexual abuse, family breakdowns and neglect are involved, but the underlying reasons for the increase are complex.
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