Children in Care

Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (14:59): My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Does the minister still intend to deliver her promise to reduce the number of children in emergency care to below 10?

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection) (14:59): I thank the member, again, for her question. Emergency care has been an issue for many years, and, in fact, the last time the Liberal Party was in power, 18 years ago, they left a situation where there were no children in emergency care. The numbers were built up after 16 years of an incompetent Labor government that failed the children of this state. At one point—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: —in fact, in 2016—the numbers of children in emergency care reached 212, and that was at its peak. As a new incoming minister, this is an area that we have worked hard on, and certainly it is my goal to reduce that number because we know that children are better off in a family.

This government has worked very hard with a whole-of-government approach to strengthen families. We have announced intensive family support services that started last July. We have announced family group conferencing, with $1.6 million put into that to strengthen our families. We also have a pilot program starting soon in the west for Aboriginal families. We are focused on all areas.

So it is not a kneejerk response—reacting to some questions in parliament and announcing a policy: we are looking at a whole-of-government approach. We are working hard at the beginning, which is strengthening families, working to keep children in their families. We are working hard on reunification. We are looking at social bonds and other new, innovative ways that we can bring into the state that have not been done here before. We are looking at—

Mr Malinauskas interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The leader is warned. We have the question.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: —improving outcomes for children who are already in our care.

The Hon. V.A. Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Deputy Premier is warned.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: As many of you would know, yesterday we launched our online media strategy to encourage more foster carers. During this COVID-19 pandemic, many of us have had the time to reflect on our lives and what we do. Many people are at home gardening and cooking. They are spending more time at home, and it is an opportunity to think, 'What can we do to help our community? What more is our life for?' And what better time to think about becoming a foster carer? So, for anybody who is listening, it is 1300TOFOSTER, or fostercare.sa.gov.au.

We have been working very hard to build up our foster care numbers. Our department has increased by a great percentage. Our numbers of kinship care have risen by 26 per cent and our total family-based care has risen by over 20 per cent since we have been in government. How you reduce your numbers in residential and commercial care is by having more children in family-based care and reducing the number of children coming into care. I am not a miracle worker.

Ms Stinson interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Badcoe is called to order.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: It takes time. A whole-of-government approach is required. We know that the major three reasons children come into care are domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse and mental health, so as a whole of government we also are working on strategies in domestic violence, working with perpetrators and on better outcomes for victims of domestic violence. We are working on better mental health programs that were neglected for many years under the former government.

We are doing everything we can to strengthen our community. So I call on anyone who has ever considered becoming a foster carer to find out more now because information sessions are being held online, and what better time to contribute to community and help our children.