Page 3076 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 24 September 2014

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We hear from time to time about foster carers who are having delays in getting reimbursements or other issues, but today I am not going to dwell on any of the negatives because what I want is for the Assembly just to acknowledge the work that is done by community organisations that assist with foster care programs in Canberra. That includes, but is certainly not limited to, Communities@Work, Marymead, Barnardos and Anglicare ACT, to name just a few who do such a great job in our community assisting in this vital area. I would also like to acknowledge the CREATE Foundation in the ACT for their work with children and young people.

These children are our future and they deserve our very best efforts. Foster carers are doing their part, and I call on the Assembly today to acknowledge the commitment given by foster carers in the ACT, to acknowledge the work of the community organisations that facilitate the care of children in out-of-home care and I call on the Assembly to always ensure that the care of children in the ACT in out-of-home care is a priority for the government. I commend the motion to the Assembly.

MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella—Minister for Planning, Minister for Community Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations, Minister for Children and Young People and Minister for Ageing) (10.23): Firstly, I would like to thank Ms Lawder for bringing this motion forward today. It is a very important subject matter. I too acknowledge the fantastic work that carers do across the territory and I support Ms Lawder’s comments on supporting those organisations that also support carers across the territory. The subject matter of this motion is quite important to the Canberra community and it is timely that we do reflect on the contribution of foster carers and other carers.

We have significant numbers of children and young people in out-of-home care. In Canberra today there are over 600 children and young people who are unable to live with their birth families and need to be cared for by other carers. These children and young people live in family settings cared for by foster or kinship carers or in residential settings cared for by specialist providers.

Foster carers are volunteer members of our community who take in children who often have complex needs based on the goodness of their heart. Kinship carers are relatives or family friends who agree to care for a child known to them. Both foster and kinship carers provide the child with stability and nurture the child either for a short period of time while parents address their problems or, where children cannot safely return home, throughout their childhood and adolescence and into adulthood.

Foster carers week is a wonderful opportunity to focus on foster carers as valued members of our community. In fact, last Saturday I attended Marymead’s annual foster care seminar to mark the final day of Foster Care Week for this year. From my conversations at the seminar I heard about the joys and challenges of the role. It reinforced just how deeply foster carers care about their children and young people. Foster carers deserve our thanks, and I have no doubt that their efforts are all too often overlooked by our community.

Foster Care Week will be closely followed by Carers Week, which will be held from 12 to 18 October. This week will be an opportunity for us to celebrate the


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