Question Time

Other Person Guardianship

Ms SANDERSON (Adelaide) (14:56): My question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. What was the $475,000 a year for the Other Person Guardianship money announced in the budget for, and please outline how this has been used and how it will be used?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Higher Education and Skills) (14:56): Just for the house's information, Other Person Guardianship is where, after a foster-care arrangement has been entered into for some time, the legal guardianship responsibilities that rest with the minister—myself at present—pass over to the foster carer and that process is, of course, decided by the Youth Court. So, an application is made and considered and passed over.

Members may well be aware that I am very focused on increasing the number of Other Person Guardianship orders as was in the budget last year, and also as is raised in the Margaret Nyland report. This is a way of providing not just actual legal stability for children but a real sense of belonging for the kids. The feedback that we get is that when that occurs there is a sense of, 'Okay, so this really is my family.'

The question is around how we have been spending the money. We have gone through a process of reviewing the way in which we were assessing these orders, and I think the member is aware that there is a gap in doing very many orders at all. I think we have had something like 17 in the last several months, which is a dramatic escalation on previously. That's been as a result not only of the renewed focus on it but also a more streamlined process for consideration.

Having said that, I think we can do more, and part of the consideration with looking at the foster care system is also to look at the way in which Other Person Guardianship works because it is one of the attractions for some foster carers who wish to have a long-term relationship with children, that they might see that as where they will get to. So, we need to make sure that path is relatively straightforward and with all due consideration for the security of the child, that that is a process that's available. I am open for further discussions about the ways in which that occurs.

The SPEAKER: I note the member for Davenport is no longer wearing his colours. Deputy leader.