Legislative Council Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2) 54 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Domestic and Family Violence Domestic and Family Violence The Hon. J.S. LEE Legislative Council Domestic and Family Violence The Hon. J.S. LEE (14:58): My question is to the Minister for Human Services regarding women's safety. Can the minister please provide an update to the council on how the Marshall Liberal government is investing in new responses to address domestic and family violence in South Australia? The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK Legislative Council Minister for Human Services Domestic and Family Violence The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:58): I thank the honourable member for her question. We do have in South Australia record funding for domestic and family violence services in the realm of some $21 million, particularly through the suite of reforms that we brought in as a new government. With the commonwealth funding, there was funding, which I think I have referred to previously, which was provided last year in a range of tranches. We have been able to support new services and some of those services include services for children who are experiencing domestic and family violence. As we also know, through the reforms to the family support services, the Intensive Family Support, the old ERD, particularly through the consultation with the sector, there are a lot of very similar drivers for both domestic violence and for children who are at risk of entering the child protection system, so we are working towards making sure those systems are working much more closely together. That aside, we are in the process of funding some new services, which includes safe and well kids, a program to wrap around children and adolescents who are experiencing domestic and family violence, so very much a focus on the child. We do know they can experience significant trauma through witnessing or being victims themselves. We also have a new Aboriginal children's therapeutic service, with half a million dollars to assist Aboriginal children and young people specifically to heal from the trauma of family violence. In addition, there is $1.7 million for safe and secure housing, which is to assist women and children to move out of temporary crisis accommodation into safe, long-term accommodation, which is important for families to be able to reconnect into the community. Obviously, in a crisis service kids have their connection to their schools disrupted and to the communities that support them, so we want to make sure that people are exiting the system and are able to reconnect and get on with their lives.