This week we celebrate foster and kinship carer week, but our carers continue to be let down by this Palaszczuk Labor Government.
If Labor was serious about recruiting more foster carers it should stop treating them so badly.
The biggest complaint by carers is how they are treated by the Department, followed closely by being kept in the dark on the care needs of children they are being asked to look after.
More child care funding won’t attract new carers when existing carers and those leaving are actively discouraging others from applying.
In just 2 years of Labor our child safety department has fallen into serious crisis.
More money needs to be going into frontline services to keep kids out of foster care.
We have more kids in abusive homes than ever not being seen in the critical 24 hour response time.
This is too little too late from a Labor Government that is trying hide the fact the system is in crisis.
We have more foster carers leaving this system now under Labor and Annastasia Palazsczuk than ever before and they have done nothing in 2 years to stop that. (more than 1320 carers exited the system as at Sep 2016)
“Why is it still taking months to get simple answers out of child safety when it comes to the care of a foster child.
· Foster carer exit surveys across Queensland have found most foster parents would not advise a friend to become a carer because of the “way they were treated”.
· Nearly 70 per cent of carers in one particular region cited the behaviour of children as the reason for giving up and a lack of government support was a constant complaint.
· Foster Care Queensland reported in February this year that negative experiences were being posted on social media as a warning.
· The report stated people who have been carers are actively suggesting to people who are considering becoming carers to proceed with caution or not proceed at all due to their experiences which, in turn, is affecting the recruitment of potential carers.