❓ Question regarding the disparity in resources allocated to investigating multiple foster home placements for Aboriginal vs. non-Aboriginal children in WA. The Minister responds by outlining reforms aimed at reducing multiple placements for all children.
AnsweredQoN 616Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
CHILDREN IN CARE — UNDER SIX YEARS OF AGE
I refer to the 142, now down to 72, non-Aboriginal children under the age of six who have been placed in multiple foster homes. (1) Why will a project officer be appointed to look only at the reasons the 152 Aboriginal children have been placed in multiple foster homes? (2) Who will look into why non-Aboriginal children are being placed in multiple foster homes? (3) Will this project officer be employed to look at why the number of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children being placed in multiple foster homes is too high? (4) If no to (3), what will the government do to ensure that the case files of the 72 non-Aboriginal children are scrutinised to determine why they have been placed multiple times? Hon SUE ELLERY
I refer to the 142, now down to 72, non-Aboriginal children under the age of six who have been placed in multiple foster homes. (1) Why will a project officer be appointed to look only at the reasons the 152 Aboriginal children have been placed in multiple foster homes? (2) Who will look into why non-Aboriginal children are being placed in multiple foster homes? (3) Will this project officer be employed to look at why the number of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children being placed in multiple foster homes is too high? (4) If no to (3), what will the government do to ensure that the case files of the 72 non-Aboriginal children are scrutinised to determine why they have been placed multiple times? Hon SUE ELLERY
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
(1) Why will a project officer be appointed to look only at the reasons the 152 Aboriginal children have been placed in multiple foster homes? (2) Who will look into why non-Aboriginal children are being placed in multiple foster homes? (3) Will this project officer be employed to look at why the number of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children being placed in multiple foster homes is too high? (4) If no to (3), what will the government do to ensure that the case files of the 72 non-Aboriginal children are scrutinised to determine why they have been placed multiple times? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
(2) Who will look into why non-Aboriginal children are being placed in multiple foster homes? (3) Will this project officer be employed to look at why the number of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children being placed in multiple foster homes is too high? (4) If no to (3), what will the government do to ensure that the case files of the 72 non-Aboriginal children are scrutinised to determine why they have been placed multiple times? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
(3) Will this project officer be employed to look at why the number of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children being placed in multiple foster homes is too high? (4) If no to (3), what will the government do to ensure that the case files of the 72 non-Aboriginal children are scrutinised to determine why they have been placed multiple times? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
(4) If no to (3), what will the government do to ensure that the case files of the 72 non-Aboriginal children are scrutinised to determine why they have been placed multiple times? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
(1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
(1) Why will a project officer be appointed to look only at the reasons the 152 Aboriginal children have been placed in multiple foster homes? (2) Who will look into why non-Aboriginal children are being placed in multiple foster homes? (3) Will this project officer be employed to look at why the number of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children being placed in multiple foster homes is too high? (4) If no to (3), what will the government do to ensure that the case files of the 72 non-Aboriginal children are scrutinised to determine why they have been placed multiple times? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
(2) Who will look into why non-Aboriginal children are being placed in multiple foster homes? (3) Will this project officer be employed to look at why the number of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children being placed in multiple foster homes is too high? (4) If no to (3), what will the government do to ensure that the case files of the 72 non-Aboriginal children are scrutinised to determine why they have been placed multiple times? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
(3) Will this project officer be employed to look at why the number of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children being placed in multiple foster homes is too high? (4) If no to (3), what will the government do to ensure that the case files of the 72 non-Aboriginal children are scrutinised to determine why they have been placed multiple times? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
(4) If no to (3), what will the government do to ensure that the case files of the 72 non-Aboriginal children are scrutinised to determine why they have been placed multiple times? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question. (1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
(1)-(4) Multiple placements of children in care are unacceptable and the Department for Child Protection is working hard to overcome this situation. A project officer has been appointed to consider issues relating to the multiple placement of a number of Aboriginal children. The information obtained will be used by the Department for Child Protection to improve its management of the placement of Aboriginal children. The particular study focuses on Aboriginal children because of the additional complications that arise in regional and remote areas and with placements with extended family. A shortage of foster carers for all children requiring care has been recognised nationally. The Department for Child Protection is undertaking a number of reforms to increase accommodation and care options, including increasing the recruitment effort for foster carers, better managing the partnership with foster carers and expanding the number of residential beds. These reforms will also include increasing the amount of respite available to general and relative foster carers as well as increasing the provision of accessible, relevant and high quality training to all foster carers. The Western Australian state government anticipates that these reforms, together with the increased payments to foster carers—that is the $65 a fortnight paid over the past two years—will encourage people to become foster carers and reduce the multiple placements of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children.
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