Ms MOSS - 2015-12-03
The Children’s Commissioner Annual Report 2014-15 has identified 110 cases of proven and substantiated harm and exploitation involving 95 children who are in the care of the Department of Children and Families; 25 of those cases involve 12 children who have suffered multiple cases of abuse. These are children taken from their families for being abused and placed with families who abuse them, some of them multiple times.
The Children’s Commissioner states:
What is going wrong in the assessment of carers for this to occur? Why are you failing these vulnerable children, and is this not confirmation that your incompetence is damaging these vulnerable children?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I remind honourable members about the hysteria that surrounded the death of Deborah Melville, who died whilst under the care of the former Labor government. The Children’s Commissioner’s report caused me to inquire into exactly what happened. Yes, we always try to make sure foster carers are properly vetted and look after these kids effectively.
However, it also became apparent to me, while we doing the research, that many kids go into foster care and then suffer injuries. These are all logged and recorded, but those injuries are often the result of the normal things that happen to kids in any family. Because these kids are in care, the level of care we bring to bear upon these children, and the level of oversight, is much higher. When a kid suffers an injury, perhaps at the hand of another child because they get into a fight or something like that, it is logged as an injury in care.
I caution the member opposite to not paint a darker picture than is actually true. If any person, carer or parent, harms a child in or outside of care to a criminal level, a criminal response will be brought to bear and people will be prosecuted.
This is an imperfect world in which we live. Sadly, these children under the tutelage and so-called care of their parents are neglected, and physically and sexually abused. We, as a government, have to step in. When we step in we try to place those kids into environments which are as safe as possible.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. We are not talking about the parents of those children. We are talking about 110 cases of children in your care as the minister.
Mr ELFERINK: Why are we not talking about the parents of these children? They neglect and abuse these kids. You want to turn it into a mere political issue. We are providing more care than you ever did as government because we have a more comprehensive system in place. Our system has more kids in care than you ever did in your term of government. We will continue to protect those children, and when they come into the custody and care of the Northern Territory we will make every effort to protect them.
The Children’s Commissioner states:
- … the question arises as to the level of screening, adequacy of training and support to carers, and the level of monitoring of the placements by DCF.
…
However it is indefensible that 12 children were abused not only once while being in care but on a number of occasions.
What is going wrong in the assessment of carers for this to occur? Why are you failing these vulnerable children, and is this not confirmation that your incompetence is damaging these vulnerable children?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I remind honourable members about the hysteria that surrounded the death of Deborah Melville, who died whilst under the care of the former Labor government. The Children’s Commissioner’s report caused me to inquire into exactly what happened. Yes, we always try to make sure foster carers are properly vetted and look after these kids effectively.
However, it also became apparent to me, while we doing the research, that many kids go into foster care and then suffer injuries. These are all logged and recorded, but those injuries are often the result of the normal things that happen to kids in any family. Because these kids are in care, the level of care we bring to bear upon these children, and the level of oversight, is much higher. When a kid suffers an injury, perhaps at the hand of another child because they get into a fight or something like that, it is logged as an injury in care.
I caution the member opposite to not paint a darker picture than is actually true. If any person, carer or parent, harms a child in or outside of care to a criminal level, a criminal response will be brought to bear and people will be prosecuted.
This is an imperfect world in which we live. Sadly, these children under the tutelage and so-called care of their parents are neglected, and physically and sexually abused. We, as a government, have to step in. When we step in we try to place those kids into environments which are as safe as possible.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 110: relevance. We are not talking about the parents of those children. We are talking about 110 cases of children in your care as the minister.
Mr ELFERINK: Why are we not talking about the parents of these children? They neglect and abuse these kids. You want to turn it into a mere political issue. We are providing more care than you ever did as government because we have a more comprehensive system in place. Our system has more kids in care than you ever did in your term of government. We will continue to protect those children, and when they come into the custody and care of the Northern Territory we will make every effort to protect them.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016