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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-02-18 Daily Xml
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Child Protection

Ms HILDYARD (Reynell) (14:22): My question is to the Minister for Child Protection. Why are more children than ever before going into state care? With your leave and that of the house, sir, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Ms HILDYARD: According to the Department for Child Protection website, there were 4,485 children in care in South Australia as of November 2020, a rise of about 500 children since June 2019, when there were 3,988 in care.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection) (14:22): I welcome this question. What happened for 16 years under the former Labor government was an absolute mess.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left!

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: An absolute mess.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left, members on my right! The minister will resume her seat.

Ms Hildyard: Have some empathy and take responsibility. These poor children.

The SPEAKER: The member for Reynell is called to order. I remind members that the member asking the question is entitled to be heard in silence. I have listened carefully to the question. The minister is entitled to answer the question in silence. The minister has the call.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: As a result of the Nyland royal commission—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is warned.

The Hon. R. SANDERSON: —the Early Intervention Research Directorate was established to look at the money that was spent on early intervention and prevention, which is directly relevant to the number of children coming into care. The research found that the former Labor government would have been better off spending zero dollars and doing nothing and that children would have been better off than the damage that occurred by their policies that were not evaluated and were not evidence based. They were pitched at the wrong people for the wrong amount of time and they weren't culturally competent.

What this government has done is set up early intervention and prevention programs through DHS. We have already announced intensive family support services in the north with Anglicare and in the west with KWY. We have just announced the Resilient Families Benevolent Society social impact bond that will be starting in the south and that is to support families. We have introduced family group conferencing. The Labor government spoke about it but never funded it and never implemented it. We have funded it; we have implemented it. We have family-led decision-making. We are supporting families to look after their children safely in their homes.

Where that doesn't work, we are also investing in reunification. If we have had to remove the child, we continue the work. Again, we have just announced another social impact bond with Newpin that Uniting Communities will be running. I first saw this and researched it in 2014 and have been watching the outcomes in New South Wales and Queensland, which have been very successful, so I am really looking forward to that reunification program.

We also have many other reunification programs and we continue to develop and improve outcomes for children in care, remembering that it is a court, on the basis of the facts of the case, that makes the determination to remove a child. My department's role is to keep children safe, and I will not apologise for removing a child from an unsafe environment.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. Piccolo: Have you apologised for your failings?

The SPEAKER: Order, member for Light!

The SPEAKER: Before I call the member for King, I warn for a second time the member for Hurtle Vale and I call to order the Premier. The member for King.

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