Question Time

Exceptional Resource Funding

Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (14:06): My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Has the Department for Child Protection suspended the exceptional resource funding procedure?

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection) (14:06): I thank the member for this very important question. This gives me the great opportunity to clear the record and to clear up any of the misunderstandings that have been spread by the opposition through the media.

Ms Stinson: Because you didn't tell the truth.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: The core function of the department—

The SPEAKER: Minister, please be seated. Member for Badcoe, when you say, 'Because you did not tell the truth,' I am taking that to be unparliamentary, and I respectfully ask you to withdraw that comment.

Ms STINSON: I withdraw, Mr Speaker.

The SPEAKER: Thank you. The Minister for Child Protection has the call.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: Thank you, Mr Speaker. The core function of my department is statutory child protection services. For those children who need to enter the out-of-home-care system, our foster and kinship carers do an incredible job of providing safe, stable and loving homes for this state's most vulnerable children and young people.

Our foster and kinship carers are our greatest asset. These selfless volunteers open their hearts and their homes to children and young people in need and in doing so change lives. Exceptional circumstances arise, however, where carers may require additional financial support to meet the particular care needs of an individual child or young person. When this occurs, and in the absence of alternative avenues of support, my department will always consider whether additional one-off funding support can be delivered via the exceptional resource funding procedures.

Let it be clear: since the Marshall government was elected, there have been no cuts to the exceptional resource funding in my department. This has not been the subject of any savings measures.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: Last budget, there was a $1 million funding injection, which doubled the money available for distribution for exceptional needs funding, and those opposite will need to hear what is in store for this year's budget. Currently, all decisions to make and allocate exceptional resource funding take into account and balance the following:

1. The needs of the individual children and carers;

2. The needs of all children and carers; and

3. The need for the public to have confidence that the government's spending is transparent and equitable.

Last year, consistent with Treasurer's Instruction No. 2, which remains unchanged from the 2016 version under the then Labor government, my department reviewed the exceptional resource funding as a part of a suite of policy and procedure reviews. The exceptional resource funding review focused on providing greater clarity about how funds were allocated and consistent with the three factors I just mentioned.

The future updated guidelines will also consider the current budget and any implications that flow from it. I am advised that the new approach will:

1. Maintain the current funding limit of $20,000 per request;

2. Not exempt any particular type of expenditure; and

3. Focus decision-making based on the individual circumstances of the child and the young person.

As an example, it is anticipated that the following type of expenses may be covered: expenses associated with renting a larger home to better accommodate an increased number of family members; minor home modifications, including, for example, upgrades to increase the safety of children who join that household; payments of fees to non-government schools if it is in the interests of the child to attend—this may be due to learning needs or because of siblings, including foster siblings, already at the school; car leases, purchases or modifications where it is essential to the child's needs; and home aids or modifications for a child or young person with a disability where they are not eligible for NDIS or other funded support.

The vast majority of requests for exceptional funds received from carers are well under a $20,000 limit and will continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis.