Foster Carers

759 Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (14 May 2019). How many children were deemed suitable for foster care as at 1 March 2019, but were not in a foster care placement?

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection): I have been advised:

During 2017-18, the Department for Child Protection undertook an audit of children in non family-based care to provide an understanding of placement need at a point in time, and to more broadly guide reform of the South Australian out of home care system. The audit was undertaken in four stages.

The findings showed that approximately:

53 per cent of children were appropriately placed in residential care based on their point in time need.

47 per cent of children audited, based on their point in time assessed need, could potentially have been placed in family-based care.