FOSTER CARE

In reply to the Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (30 September 2010).

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises): The Minister for Families and Communities has provided the following information:

1. Analysis by the Department for Families and Communities (DFC), which is consistent with research in other jurisdictions, reveals that the number of children and young people entering care has remained relatively stable during the past five years. Indeed, to clarify, from 30 June 2006 to 30 June 2010 the number of children in foster care increased from 905 to 1,017. Subsequently, the number of children in foster care has not doubled in five years.

However, children and young people are remaining in out of home care for longer periods of time for a number of reasons including the younger age at which children are entering care; and the particular care needs of individual children and young people. The need to respond to reduced parental capacity due to multiple risk factors in families including parental drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and mental health issues also contributes to reasons for children entering care. Consequently, figures showing the number of children and young people in out of home care are skewed by these factors.

2. The Children's Protection Act 1993 recognises the family as the primary means of providing for the nurture, care and protection of children and places a high priority on supporting and assisting the family to carry out its responsibilities to children. This is consistent with the legal principle that the Minister for Families and Communities must try to preserve families and family relationships. Consistent with the legislative intent and policy, the first priority for the DFC is to try to place children and young people with family, including grandparents, wherever this is safe, there is capacity within the family to provide care and the child's needs can be met within the family.

It is Families SA policy that the first preference is for children and young people to be cared for by members of their extended family or kinship group who have been assessed to have the capacity to provide the child with appropriate care. However, the priority on placement with family members must never override the paramount considerations of safety, wellbeing and best interests of a child.

At 30 June 2010, there were 847 children placed with relatives or kin. This is 38.7 per cent of the total population of children in alternative care placements. This is a significant increase from 2001 when only 20.7 per cent of children in alternative care were in alternative care placements with relatives or kin. Our policy, as stated in the Directions for Alternative Care in South Australia, released for public consultation on 24 July this year, sets as an immediate priority, increasing the relative and kinship care program to provide at least 50 per cent of all alternative care places.

This increase reflects the emphasis placed on developing and strengthening the Relative and Kinship Care program in Families SA. The Relative and Kinship Care program is managed in the same way as the foster care program in South Australia, whereby relative and kinship carers are assessed and registered as formal carers; receive Alternative Care Support Payments; and are provided guidance and assistance through their allocated support worker.

The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare reports that across Australia the proportion of children in out-of-home care who were in relative/kinship care has risen. South Australia had the highest rate of increase, moving from having the lowest rate (14 per cent) in 2002-03 to 38 per cent in 2008-09, when South Australia moved ahead of Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

3. Adoption severs all relationships and connection with birth families, including siblings, grandparents as well as parents and is not a policy being pursued by the Government.

However, one of the key focuses of the Directions for Alternative Care in South Australia is Other Person Guardianship arrangements which will provide carers, including grandparents, who are prepared and able to devote their lives to a child and who are able to manage the needs of children in their care, with the 'parental' authority to make decisions on behalf of those children. Other Person Guardianship will enable a carer to apply through the Youth Court to have full guardianship of the child, in doing so, have a greater say in their health, education and life choices. Most importantly, this will also provide for the stability and permanency for the child.

The government is committed to increasing this type of long-term care arrangement to enhance opportunities for positive, life-long relationships between children and young people and those who care for them, without severing all relationships with other important people in the child or young person's life. The Department is developing the criteria and practice guidelines to deliver this commitment.