Page 2372 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 2 August 2017
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But I reject the premise of her question. I have sought on every occasion to be transparent. That is why I have asked the directorate to prepare a new report with indicators that will be tabled on a regular basis. I want to be as transparent as I can be about the operation of our youth justice system.
There will be times when we cannot talk about the details of incidents, either for the privacy of young people or to protect the staff in terms of procedural fairness. But I am absolutely committed to being as transparent as I can be about the operation of our youth justice system, and I will maintain that commitment.
Children and young people—government support
MS CHEYNE: My question is also to the Minister for Disability, Children and Youth. How will the government’s record investment in child and youth protection services and A step up for our kids deliver better services to vulnerable children and young people in Canberra?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Ms Cheyne for her question. This government is proud to continue investing in services that protect our most vulnerable children and young people and provide them with a safe home. In the 2017-18 budget the government committed an additional $44 million over four years to support our child protection system. This major funding initiative reflects the government’s priority to provide better support when it matters to our children and young people and to their families.
For child and youth protection services this means the establishment of two new case management teams. More case managers working on the front line will allow child and youth protection services to provide a timely response to struggling families and the ability to harness the service system to support families to parent safely.
Some $34 million over four years will fund the government’s ongoing commitment to delivering on our reform strategy, A step up for our kids. This strategy aims to ensure that families are supported where possible to stay together and parent safely in their own home or to restore children to home when it is safe to do so. When it is not safe to restore children to their families or for them to stay with their parents, the strategy aims to achieve permanence in a timely manner. We are continuing to invest in our community partners who work with us to support these children and their families and to provide more therapeutic placement options for children who cannot live at home.
Our community partners are helping us to reform the out of home care system, and this funding is evidence of the Barr Labor government’s commitment to a long-term program of change that will deliver better outcomes for Canberra’s children and families.
MS CHEYNE: Minister, what else is the government doing to enhance quality assurance and support improved decision-making for vulnerable children and young people in Canberra?
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