Foster carers
Matthew BACH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (13:31): (11) My question is for the minister for child protection. Minister, does the KPMG report that one of your predecessors commissioned into the adequacy of the foster carer allowance recommend increasing it?
Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers, Minister for Child Protection and Family Services) (13:31): Thank you, Dr Bach, for your question. Firstly can I say that our carers do an amazing job and that there is probably never enough, in terms of the care of our children, for those delivering this important service and assisting our foster carers in this way. Foster care is an important part of the child protection system. It is absolutely something that successive governments, as well as my predecessors, have looked at. I very much look forward to continuing to work with carers and their respective organisations and have already met with some of those organisations with a view to working with them to look at what we can do to continue the support that we provide for our carers.
Matthew BACH (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (13:32): Minister, will you release the report?
Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers, Minister for Child Protection and Family Services) (13:32): Thank you, Dr Bach, for your question. As I said, I was very pleased to read over Christmas that you were interested in working –
Members interjecting.
The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister has only just started her response.
Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Thank you, President. As I indicated, I was very pleased to read over Christmas that you are committed to working with the government and that you are committed to working in particular, you said, with me in relation to how we can make improvements to the child protection system over the forward journey. I look forward to doing that with you, as I look forward to doing that with the carers in our system that provide a vital role in the lives of so many vulnerable children. They do absolutely an amazing job. I think we all take our hats off to them and the work that they do, and I very much look forward to working with them and with you on how we can ensure that they get the services and supports that they need.