FOSTER CARE

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (15:35): I rise today to give a pat on the back, if you like, which is not often what we do in this chamber. I think, quite rightly, we have a situation in this chamber—indeed, in this parliament—where governments are held to account very sternly, and I think that is appropriate. We have a situation where the opposition holds the government to account, the crossbenchers do the same and, one day when the opposition is in government, I am sure they will have no beef with being held to the same level of account. That is what makes a great democracy, and I think we can rightfully say that we have that here in South Australia. I think we can be justifiably proud of that.

This is an exception to that rule. I rise today to give a pat on the back to the government and, in particular, one minister. Although I have disagreed with her on a number of occasions, she has done an excellent job on this particular issue that I will outline. I am talking about minister Rankine who has improved a number of aspects of Families SA, particular aspects that I will outline in a moment, particularly in linking children at risk of abuse and neglect with their wider family.

As I said, it is usual for us on the crossbenches and for members of the opposition to be critical of the government, but it is also right to give credit where credit is due. I recall speaking to the member for Wright shortly after she became Minister for Families and Communities and I told her that perhaps that she had taken on some of the most controversial and difficult portfolios in government—not one but four of what might be called the poisoned chalice portfolios of families and communities, housing, disability, and ageing.

I have regularly disagreed strongly with the minister regarding issues in this department that I have wanted addressed from time to time. Indeed, I have been strongly critical of Housing SA and Families SA, in particular, on countless occasions in the media and in this place on many occasions as well. These agencies, in my opinion, need a thorough working over to ensure that they meet basic acceptable standards. However, it would be disingenuous of me if I did not give credit where credit is due.

Late last year I asked a question of the minister regarding foster care placements. It is a fact that we have something like 1,017 children currently in foster care in this state. Family First has been very vocal on the proposition that, if children needed to be taken from their parents, they should be placed with members of their wider family wherever that is possible rather than with complete strangers. No matter how wonderful a particular foster care family may be, there are certainly benefits in children being put with their extended family in many cases, whether either related to those people or whether they have a prior connection with those individuals.

In particular, I want to place on record the work of Denise and John Langton of Grandparents for Grandchildren SA in this regard. Members may also note the bill from my colleague the Hon. Robert Brokenshire that seeks to formally amend the act to require the department to consider wider family care before other options are considered.

Going back to the question I asked of the minister, I recently received a response to my questions of the minister—and it was a welcome one, I must say. The response noted that, back in 2001, 20.7 per cent of the children in alternative care were placed with relatives or kin, but by mid-2010 that number had increased to 38.7 per cent. This is a near doubling of children at risk of abuse or neglect been placed with relatives or people they are associated with in one way or another rather than being put in the wider foster care system.

It is not always possible to find a suitable family member who can care for children at risk but, where available, they should be approached, in our opinion, and put with those people where possible. I certainly commend the government and particularly the minister in this regard for the significant improvement on this measure.

Also worthy of commendation from Family First's perspective is the commitment by the minister, subject to community consultation, of setting a target to provide that 50 per cent of alternative care placements should be with relatives and kin. This will be a hard ask, but it is good to see that the minister has thought it worthy to set such a target.

Certainly more needs to be done, and we cannot rest on our laurels in this regard. In New South Wales, for example, 47.1 per cent of placements are placed with relatives and kin at this stage, and we are now at 38.7 per cent, so we have got a way to travel. However, the increase in recent years is encouraging and the ambitious target proposed by the government is certainly one we would support fully.

Family First believes in giving credit where it is due and, on this issue, I think one would have to say that this is a good outcome and the minister does deserve credit for that. As I said, we hold people to account in this chamber, we do it ferociously at times, but I think to be fair we need to give credit where credit is due on occasions.