Published Tuesday, 26 June, 2007 at 02:37 PM
Minister for Child Safety
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Minister thanks foster and kinship carers in Roma
Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle and Parliamentary Secretary Julie Attwood met with child safety staff, foster carers and community partners during a visit to Roma today.
Ms Boyle and Mrs Attwood met local carers after meeting staff at the Roma Child Safety Service Centre. The Minister will officially open the Toowoomba North and Toowoomba South Child Safety Service Centres tomorrow.
“The Roma service centre and its satellite office in Charleville cover an enormous area of 357,909sq km from Chinchilla in the east, west to the South Australian border and south to the New South Wales border,” Ms Boyle said.
“This is a chance to meet staff and hear about some of the challenges they face covering such a wide area and the good work that they are doing.
“It is terrific to be able to meet and personally thank foster and kinship carers from Roma and surrounding areas who step in when children do not have parents able, or willing, to provide them with a safe home,” Ms Boyle said.
“Carers help children to heal by showing them love and patience and making them part of their families.”
Last year, the Roma Child Safety Service Centre recorded about 100 substantiated cases of harm or risk of harm to children and young people. There are about 100 children in out-of-home care in Roma and about 50 foster and kinship carers.
Ms Boyle said the Department of Child Safety provided more than $1.4 million to community agencies working in child protection in the far west.
“This ranges from recruiting, training and supporting foster carers to providing cultural advice on Indigenous children, counselling children who have been abused and giving parents practical skills so they can safely care for their children.”
She said the department now provided more support to foster and kinship carers to care for abused and neglected children through improved training, increased allowances and the after-hours helpline launched in April.
“The after hours Foster and Kinship Care Support Line means carers have someone to call for advice or support when their regular contact has finished for the day,” Ms Boyle said.
The helpline number is 1300 729 309 and costs the same as a local call.
Ends
Media contact: 3224 7477
Ms Boyle and Mrs Attwood met local carers after meeting staff at the Roma Child Safety Service Centre. The Minister will officially open the Toowoomba North and Toowoomba South Child Safety Service Centres tomorrow.
“The Roma service centre and its satellite office in Charleville cover an enormous area of 357,909sq km from Chinchilla in the east, west to the South Australian border and south to the New South Wales border,” Ms Boyle said.
“This is a chance to meet staff and hear about some of the challenges they face covering such a wide area and the good work that they are doing.
“It is terrific to be able to meet and personally thank foster and kinship carers from Roma and surrounding areas who step in when children do not have parents able, or willing, to provide them with a safe home,” Ms Boyle said.
“Carers help children to heal by showing them love and patience and making them part of their families.”
Last year, the Roma Child Safety Service Centre recorded about 100 substantiated cases of harm or risk of harm to children and young people. There are about 100 children in out-of-home care in Roma and about 50 foster and kinship carers.
Ms Boyle said the Department of Child Safety provided more than $1.4 million to community agencies working in child protection in the far west.
“This ranges from recruiting, training and supporting foster carers to providing cultural advice on Indigenous children, counselling children who have been abused and giving parents practical skills so they can safely care for their children.”
She said the department now provided more support to foster and kinship carers to care for abused and neglected children through improved training, increased allowances and the after-hours helpline launched in April.
“The after hours Foster and Kinship Care Support Line means carers have someone to call for advice or support when their regular contact has finished for the day,” Ms Boyle said.
The helpline number is 1300 729 309 and costs the same as a local call.
Ends
Media contact: 3224 7477