Foster and Kinship Care

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY (15:26): I seek leave to ask the Minister for Human Services representing the Minister for Child Protection a question regarding the care of children who have been removed from the family home. Can the minister advise if they agree that it is best for children in state care to be cared for by foster and kinship carers than to be placed in residential care, taking into account the following factors: (1) the average cost difference to the taxpayer per child in foster and kinship care, as opposed to residential care provided by the Department for Child Protection; and (2) the emotional needs and development of the child?

The Hon. J.M.A. Lensink: What was the actual question?

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: The Hon. Mr Darley, I'm sorry, can you please repeat that?

The Hon. J.A. DARLEY: The question is: can the minister advise if they agree that it is best for children in state care to be cared for by foster and kinship carers than to be placed in residential care, taking into account the following factors—

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (15:27): Yes, that's right; I heard the last bit. I thank the honourable member for his question and for his ongoing interest in this very important policy area. I think I have said previously in this place in response to—it might have actually been his bill last year. Clearly, the provision, subject to caveats of a range of things, that is, safe environments and those sorts of things, when clearly there is a case that has been in the media where foster carers abused a boy, which is now before the Coroner.

So subject to all of those things—that the environment is safe and loving—it's certainly my belief that it's preferable for children and young people to be placed with actual families in the community, rather than in residential care, for all of those reasons that he has outlined.

The DEPUTY PRESIDENT: Supplementary, the Hon. Mr Darley.