House of Assembly Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1) 53 1 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Child Protection Child Protection Ms SANDERSON House of Assembly Adelaide Child Protection Ms SANDERSON (Adelaide) (15:19): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Is it Families SA's practice to avoid removing an at-risk child from their guardian due to speculation on how the Youth Court will respond to the order? The Hon. J.M. RANKINE House of Assembly Wright Minister for Education and Child Development Child Protection The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Education and Child Development) (15:19): It's Families SA practice, where it is possible, to maintain a family unit, and that priority is enshrined in our legislation, as far as I am aware. Members interjecting: The Speaker House of Assembly The SPEAKER: The deputy leader is called to order and so is the member for Colton. The Hon. J.M. RANKINE House of Assembly The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Parents have the overriding responsibility for children. When serious concerns are raised and Families SA believe that a child is in danger, they can have what is called an 'assessment investigation order', which is provided by the Youth Court. That can be for varying periods of time in which they undertake an assessment of the family, whether they can look at unifying that family, providing extra supports and returning the child to the family, or whether they get a long-term order. But, of course, the way that Families SA have been going about their work essentially results in more and more children coming into care, and we've talked about the problems in relation to that. So, we're going through a process now of Families SA changing the way they work and having much more intensive work with families, with children in their homes, hopefully with the ultimate aim of sustaining those families.