Coronavirus

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (14:37): My question is to the minister—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Lee is warned. Could I have the question again, please.

Mr CREGAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Can the minister update the house on how the state government is supporting vulnerable children and young people in family-based care in response to coronavirus?

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection) (14:38): I thank the member for Kavel for his question. The Marshall Liberal government has a strong and clear plan to help combat the spread of coronavirus, especially with some of our most vulnerable South Australians. On 19 March, the Liberal government committed more than $720,000 towards a once-off $200 payment for every child and young person in family-based care across South Australia.

This additional financial support will assist those households to buy items, such as essential household cleaning and hygiene products, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. With the extra focus on cleaning hands thoroughly and often with soap and water or alcohol-based sanitisers, we know this is an additional expense for our carers. This is a practical and sensible way that we are helping to alleviate concerns of the many vulnerable people in our community. By assisting with this additional expense, we are providing families with relief.

As a government, we are working together to ensure a joined-up response to COVID-19, and all ministers are being regularly briefed on this matter. Child protection is an essential service and my number one priority is the health and wellbeing of children and young people in care. I am taking this responsibility very seriously and I am working closely with the chief executive of my department to make sure we are ready for events as they unfold. DCP has activated phase 2 of its emergency management plan in order to ensure critical services continue in line with emergency management and local business continuity plans.

The Department for Child Protection emergency management committee meets daily to oversee the implementation and monitoring of these important plans. The committee has overseen a review of all resources, including assets, staff, facilities and equipment, to ensure that they are best positioned to support continuity of front-line service delivery and care for children under guardianship. Working from home and other social distancing measures have been implemented where this is possible. Clear protocols are in place for staff required to visit clients for critical child protection investigations and for residential care staff.

DCP is working closely with other agencies to ensure collaborative arrangements are in place to support service delivery, particularly where portfolios may intersect, including SA Health to ensure children in care have access to a prompt and safe medical response; the Department of Human Services to consider opportunities to access additional accommodation sites if required; the Department for Education to ensure children in care continue to have access to schooling, accepting that the delivery method may change, and to ensure the continuation of family day care; and SAPOL to consider opportunities for sharing investigation resources.

The government is also working closely with our colleagues across Australia. Most recently, COVID-19 has been a major subject of targeted discussions on 20 March at the Community Services Ministers (CSM) meeting and again on 23 March, when DCP chaired an extraordinary meeting of the Children and Families Secretaries that had a focus on responding to COVID-19 in a residential care setting. We are committed to ensuring that children and young people, their carers, our valued service providers and the child protection workforce have access to the right information and the right support.

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is called to order.