Published Monday, 19 February, 2007 at 09:05 AM
Minister for Child Safety
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Boost for child protection in far west Queensland
The Queensland Government has given the St George Aboriginal Housing Company $435,000 to help protect Indigenous children in Western Queensland.
Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle said there were extra considerations to take into account when Indigenous children were suspected of being abused or neglected.
“Indigenous organisations are involved in any major decisions involving Indigenous children who have been harmed or are at risk of harm,” Ms Boyle said.
“This could be anything from whether they should be taken into care, to who they should stay with and what contact they should have with their natural parents.
“We try to place Indigenous children with Indigenous carers so they don’t lose contact with their culture.”
St George Aboriginal Housing Company will work with the Department of Child Safety and its community partners focusing on Indigenous children in the Charleville, Roma, Cunnamulla and St George areas.
This latest funding consists of $385,100 in operational funds and a one-off establishment grant of $50,000.
Ms Boyle said this funding came on top of substantial increases in staffing and resources for child protection in the region.
In the past three years, staff at the Roma Child Safety Service Centre have increased from 14 to 22 and the budget for the Ipswich and Western Queensland zone has gone from about $10million to more than $40million, Ms Boyle said.
“This isn’t enough. We need more support and better partnerships. This funding is about helping Indigenous people to look after their kids in their own communities,” Ms Boyle said.
“It is really important that not only does the Department of Child Safety deliver services to communities but that the communities take responsibility themselves for the health and the wellbeing of the kids,” she said.
The St George Aboriginal Housing Company has provided services to western Queenslanders since its establishment in 1974.
It currently provides a hub of services for the residents of St George and surrounding districts, including a Centrelink agent, housing services, Aboriginal Legal Services, a District Disability Services Coordinator and the Barry Combarngo Gym.
The new Department of Child Safety plans to allocate $15.6 million a year for Indigenous organisations to provide cultural advice – well up on the $2.8 million a year allocated before the Crime and Misconduct Commission’s inquiry in 2004.
Ends
Media contact: 3224 7477
19 February 2007
Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle said there were extra considerations to take into account when Indigenous children were suspected of being abused or neglected.
“Indigenous organisations are involved in any major decisions involving Indigenous children who have been harmed or are at risk of harm,” Ms Boyle said.
“This could be anything from whether they should be taken into care, to who they should stay with and what contact they should have with their natural parents.
“We try to place Indigenous children with Indigenous carers so they don’t lose contact with their culture.”
St George Aboriginal Housing Company will work with the Department of Child Safety and its community partners focusing on Indigenous children in the Charleville, Roma, Cunnamulla and St George areas.
This latest funding consists of $385,100 in operational funds and a one-off establishment grant of $50,000.
Ms Boyle said this funding came on top of substantial increases in staffing and resources for child protection in the region.
In the past three years, staff at the Roma Child Safety Service Centre have increased from 14 to 22 and the budget for the Ipswich and Western Queensland zone has gone from about $10million to more than $40million, Ms Boyle said.
“This isn’t enough. We need more support and better partnerships. This funding is about helping Indigenous people to look after their kids in their own communities,” Ms Boyle said.
“It is really important that not only does the Department of Child Safety deliver services to communities but that the communities take responsibility themselves for the health and the wellbeing of the kids,” she said.
The St George Aboriginal Housing Company has provided services to western Queenslanders since its establishment in 1974.
It currently provides a hub of services for the residents of St George and surrounding districts, including a Centrelink agent, housing services, Aboriginal Legal Services, a District Disability Services Coordinator and the Barry Combarngo Gym.
The new Department of Child Safety plans to allocate $15.6 million a year for Indigenous organisations to provide cultural advice – well up on the $2.8 million a year allocated before the Crime and Misconduct Commission’s inquiry in 2004.
Ends
Media contact: 3224 7477
19 February 2007