❓ Hon Lynn MacLaren questions the Minister for Child Protection regarding the implementation and cost of a centralised foster care panel, and the community sector's opposition. The Minister confirms the panel's implementation, addresses cost concerns, and disputes the claim of unanimous opposition.
AnsweredQoN 295Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT
FOR CHILD PROTECTION AND FAMILY SUPPORT — OUT-OF-HOME CARE REFORMS
295. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the
Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the Department for Child Protection and Family
Support's out-of-home care reforms.
(1) Can the
minister confirm that the Department for Child Protection and Family Support
has committed to using a centralised foster care panel for assessing and
approving foster carers as part of its out‑of‑home care reforms?
(2) If yes to
(1), can the minister detail what the cost of administering the centralised
panel is anticipated to be?
(3) Is the
minister aware of the unanimous opposition of community sector out-of-home care
providers to a centralised panel?
FOR CHILD PROTECTION AND FAMILY SUPPORT — OUT-OF-HOME CARE REFORMS
295. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the
Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the Department for Child Protection and Family
Support's out-of-home care reforms.
(1) Can the
minister confirm that the Department for Child Protection and Family Support
has committed to using a centralised foster care panel for assessing and
approving foster carers as part of its out‑of‑home care reforms?
(2) If yes to
(1), can the minister detail what the cost of administering the centralised
panel is anticipated to be?
(3) Is the
minister aware of the unanimous opposition of community sector out-of-home care
providers to a centralised panel?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of the question.
(1) The
Department for Child Protection and Family Support has committed to
implementing a cross-sector foster carer panel as part of the out-of-home care
reform. This reflects the department's responsibility to ensure that
children in out-of-home care have consistently safe and high-quality care arrangements.
The cross-sector foster carer panel is one important mechanism to support this
occurring. Currently, the standard of carers can vary markedly between agencies
as there is no oversight of the assessment process. The risk of substandard
carers being approved is even higher in an environment which fewer people are
willing to provide care for children. Safeguards must be in place to support a system
that prioritises safe and high-quality care of children above all else.
The implementation of a cross-sector
foster carer panel is in line with mechanisms in place in other jurisdictions
in Australia. Other states have much more robust mechanisms, such as a single
decision‑maker for all foster carer assessments. It is also anticipated
that the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
will recommend a suite of measures to improve the consistency in high-quality
foster carer standards. The implementation of a cross-sector foster carer panel
will support the Western Australian jurisdiction to learn from the lessons of
the past.
(2) Costing of
the panel is being undertaken. All costs will be absorbed by the department and
there will be an evaluation of the process after 12 months.
(3) The
community services sector is not unanimous in its opposition. The department
has received feedback from some community sector out-of-home care providers
that they support the establishment of a cross-sector foster carer panel. The
Commissioner for Children and Young People and the Foster Care Association of Western
Australia have expressed their support for a cross-sector foster carer panel.
(1) The
Department for Child Protection and Family Support has committed to
implementing a cross-sector foster carer panel as part of the out-of-home care
reform. This reflects the department's responsibility to ensure that
children in out-of-home care have consistently safe and high-quality care arrangements.
The cross-sector foster carer panel is one important mechanism to support this
occurring. Currently, the standard of carers can vary markedly between agencies
as there is no oversight of the assessment process. The risk of substandard
carers being approved is even higher in an environment which fewer people are
willing to provide care for children. Safeguards must be in place to support a system
that prioritises safe and high-quality care of children above all else.
The implementation of a cross-sector
foster carer panel is in line with mechanisms in place in other jurisdictions
in Australia. Other states have much more robust mechanisms, such as a single
decision‑maker for all foster carer assessments. It is also anticipated
that the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
will recommend a suite of measures to improve the consistency in high-quality
foster carer standards. The implementation of a cross-sector foster carer panel
will support the Western Australian jurisdiction to learn from the lessons of
the past.
(2) Costing of
the panel is being undertaken. All costs will be absorbed by the department and
there will be an evaluation of the process after 12 months.
(3) The
community services sector is not unanimous in its opposition. The department
has received feedback from some community sector out-of-home care providers
that they support the establishment of a cross-sector foster carer panel. The
Commissioner for Children and Young People and the Foster Care Association of Western
Australia have expressed their support for a cross-sector foster carer panel.
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