Out-Of-Home Care

The Hon. AILEEN MacDONALD (16:49:35):

My question is addressed to the Minister for Families and Communities, and Minister for Disability Services. Will the Minister update the House on how the Liberal‑Nationals Government is supporting children in out-of-home care to secure a brighter future for them?

The Hon. NATASHA MACLAREN-JONES (Minister for Families and Communities, and Minister for Disability Services) (16:50:06):

I thank the honourable member for her question. The New South Wales Liberal‑Nationals Government is continuing to deliver on its commitment to support young people to secure a brighter future. Last Sunday we made history by announcing that young people in out-of-home care will now have access to increased support until the age of 21. Under the Your Choice, Your Future package, the Liberal‑Nationals Government is investing $100 million to support vulnerable young people reaching adulthood. All young people in care should know that they are supported no matter what their circumstances are.

The Your Choice, Your Future package includes an extension of the care allowance to support more young people to remain with their carers until the age of 21; the expansion of the aftercare allowance, a fortnightly payment for any young person who chooses not to remain with their carer, or is unable to stay with their carer, providing assistance until the age of 21; the expansion of the specialist aftercare program, increasing the availability and location of targeted support for young people when they leave care, particularly in regional and remote areas; and funding of additional caseworkers to further support young people plan for the transition to leaving care.

Importantly, this $100 million investment builds on the range of targeted services and programs that are currently funded by the New South Wales Government to support vulnerable young people leaving care. Under the Liberal-Nationals Government, we are implementing reforms and programs to strengthen child protection and out-of-home care. The Your Choice, Your Future package builds on our support, providing greater stability for young people so they can work towards independence and achieve their goals. I acknowledge the tireless work of our volunteer foster carers, caseworkers and providers who provide safety and love to the most vulnerable children in our community.

Last Sunday I stood side by side with representatives and young people from Create Foundation and the Home Stretch campaign at RuffTrack in Riverstone. I acknowledge farmer Dave for facilitating and hosting us. I also acknowledge my colleagues Kevin Conolly, the member for Riverstone, and Mark Taylor, the member for Seven Hills, who joined me in this announcement. Home Stretch is a well-known organisation that has been advocating for extended care support for many years. Although those opposite had the same stakeholder meetings and heard the same heartbreaking stories of people experiencing homelessness and transitioning from out-of-home care, we are still yet to hear any policy announcements from them.

The fact is the New South Wales Liberal-Nationals Government is working hard to provide a brighter future for families in New South Wales. We took the time to evaluate the arguments and what Government could achieve. I want to ensure that I have implemented a package that supports all young people, whether they choose to remain in their home with their carer or to live independently. In doing so, not only is New South Wales providing greater support than any other jurisdiction; we will also be more advanced in implementation, as it will be rolled out in February next year.

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