Page 5060 - Week 14 - Tuesday, 17 November 2009
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This government has learned from the past and is committed to improving outcomes for all the ACT’s children and, in particular, those in out-of-home care. This government is committed to keeping our children safe. As the minister responsible for children and young people, that is my priority. That is why we have been investing in making things happen, investing in our future, investing in family support and early intervention services to help families stay and grow together. We have funded community agencies to provide information, advice and support to grandparents and kinship carers, including through our carer recognition grants. We have provided $2 million for foster carers to allow increases in base payments, depending on the age of the child and their needs. We have also provided $11 million over four years from next year to support the development of innovative out-of-home care services in the ACT.
We have invested in a carer liaison position in DHCS to provide additional support to carers. DHCS also provides funding to support the ACT Foster Care Association. This government has been delivering support for our children and young people, delivering on support for our families. The Office for Children, Youth and Family Support is a key part of the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services, and it provides programs and services in a range of settings that support children and young people and families to reach their potential and contributes to building strong community capacity.
We have introduced standards for the provision of out-of-home care services in the ACT to ensure the quality of care provided and optimal outcomes for children and young people. We have participated in a range of critical national initiatives, including the national framework for protecting Australian children, the early childhood national strategy, the national youth homelessness strategy and the Indigenous early childhood framework. In line with our commitment, the key changes have been implemented in the Children and Young People Act 2008, aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people in the ACT. These changes have enabled greater capacity for information sharing between agencies to assist the child protection services in working more closely with other agencies.
Through the introduction of appraisal orders, there are increased powers to assess and respond to children and young people who are suspected as being at risk. There is strengthened recognition of the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people who are in the care and protection system. We have allocated funds to be provided to a specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation to support kinship and grandparent carers.
I am proud to say that the charter of rights for children and young people in out-of-home care in the ACT will be launched on 27 November this year. The charter sets out the rights for all children and young people who are unable to live with their parents. It sets out that they will be heard, will have access to services, information and supports and be active agents in decisions about their own lives. The charter is consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Human Rights Act 2004 and the Children and Young People Act 2008. Importantly, the ACT
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