House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-11-02 Daily Xml

Contents

Answers to Questions

Aboriginal Family Support Services

131 Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (30 August 2023). A press release of 20 June 2023 states that a program to divert Aboriginal children aged between 10 and 13 years charged with a minor offence away from a custodial environment with appropriate support has two more years of funding:

(a) Will the government commit to expanding this program to include all Aboriginal children and young people?

(b) How will the government measure the success of this program?

The Hon. N.F. COOK (Hurtle Vale—Minister for Human Services):

(a) The Child Diversion Program (CDP) focuses on the specific needs of Aboriginal children and young people at the critical age of 10 to 13 years. It is delivered in the context of a suite of programs and services open to other age groups, with relevant through-care arrangements in place. Additional programs and services available to Aboriginal children and young people include Metropolitan Aboriginal Youth and Family Services (MAYFS), a dedicated Aboriginal service with a focus on diverting young people away from the justice system, and the Service to Aboriginal Youth (STAY) program, which is funded to assist Aboriginal children and young people between the ages 10 and 19 to achieve their goals and strengthen their cultural and community connections.

2023-24 priorities for CDP include further expanding its presence in regional South Australia in active partnership with local Aboriginal communities and continuing to increase its intake to further reduce the number Aboriginal children aged between 10 and 13 years in custody.

(b) The Department of Human Services is committed to commissioning a full, independent evaluation of CDP. The evaluation will consider all aspects of CDP including any next steps.