| Roger Jaensch, Minister for Education, Children and Youth 14 September 2022 |
Foster Care Week is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate those special people who open their homes and their hearts to children and young people in need. The Tasmanian Liberal Government recognises the enormous role of foster and kinship carers in the lives of children and young people who can’t live with their own families. We extend our sincere thanks to all carers for the care and support you provide – without you, the needs of children and young people in care would not be met. In Tasmania, we have around 260 active foster carer households providing care through the Department of Communities or through our non-government partners. We also have a further 270 kinship carer households providing care for children and young people. Our Government recognises that there is always more to do to support our carers and we will continue our work to ensure they have what they need to provide care that is safe, of a high quality, and meets the complex needs of individual children and young people. In the last few years, we have introduced a foster care helpline, improved training opportunities for carers, actively promoted participation of carers in care teams, and extended carer payments to allow young people to stay with their carers beyond 18. We know there is more to do, which is why the Tasmanian Government is also investing $2.2 million to develop and implement an Out of Home Care Accreditation Framework and a Carer’s Register. Importantly, the Government has now released the Tasmanian Out of Home Care Standards. These Standards establish clear benchmarks and indicators for the standard of care expected to ensure children and young people are nurtured, feel loved and safe, and have a strong sense of wellbeing. Thank you again to all our carers for the vital role you play in ensuring Tasmanian children and young people who enter out of home care have the support they need to overcome their early challenges and reach their full potential. If you are interested in becoming a foster carer and have the passion, dedication and skills to make a difference in the life of a child, please visit the Department of Communities Tasmania website to find out more: https://www.communities.tas.gov.au/children/oohc/foster-care |