Childcare Services

Ms SANDERSON (Adelaide) (14:17): Again, my question is to the Minister for Education and Child Development. Can the minister explain to the house what her expectations are around the supervision of children under her guardianship and, in particular, whether it is acceptable for a 15 year old to be out at night?

The Hon. S.E. CLOSE (Port Adelaide—Minister for Education and Child Development, Minister for Higher Education and Skills) (14:17): Obviously any suggestion of the details of any hypothetical or potential case I will not be going anywhere near, but in terms of the abstract, I take the question on its face value for what the expectations are. Naturally, when a child is under the guardianship of the minister there is an expectation of assuming the parental role.

Now, as we have discussed, I think, last siting week if not the one before, there are no secure facilities in this state, and even if there were to be secure facilities clearly there would be an extremely careful and well thought out process prior to any child being put in a situation where they are effectively locked in.

So, absent that, foster carers, kinship carers, residential care, commercial care, the full range of locations in which children find themselves once they come under guardianship, are required to be responsible, to provide a safe environment, but are not required to lock children in.