Child and Family Support Services

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:08): My question is to the Minister for Human Services about the government's commitment to improving the lives of at-risk children in South Australia. Can the minister please provide an update to the council about how the Marshall Liberal government is working toward providing better services through the new child and family support system?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (15:09): I thank the honourable member for her question and for her interest in this important area. The Department of Human Services has been tasked with consolidating government efforts and designing a more connected system to keep children safe from neglect or abuse. We have continued the work of the early Intervention Research Directorate in terms of having a strong evidence base to inform what the services should look like going forward.

Prior to the machinery of government changes last year, the services were provided across a range of departments through education, human services, child protection and health. Those services, apart from health, which had particular reasons for remaining within that department, have come under the Department of Human Services. All up, the total funding for the safer family programs is in the order of $45 million, which includes our non-government partners and several hundred staff, both across government and the non-government sector.

Part of these important services includes the Child and Family Assessment and Referral Network. They have a range of networks in metropolitan South Australia in the Limestone Coast. Those services include child wellbeing staff who liaise directly with our primary hospitals, staff who liaise with education and staff who provide direct-to-family support services, which enables them to take a multidisciplinary approach and to assertively assist families where children may be at risk.

In terms of the services going forward, the total investment is some $2.8 million for a new pilot in the north which is run by Anglicare and we have also funded a pilot in the western suburbs that is currently in the co-design process, which is substantially being provided by Kornar Winmil Yunti. I look forward to analysing some of the data to test the effectiveness of these new services and assist in ensuring that our children are kept safe.