Published Wednesday, 27 June, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Minister for Child Safety
The Honourable Desley Boyle
State spends $1.47M on Toowoomba’s new child protection base
Vulnerable children in Toowoomba will receive better support from the new Toowoomba North and Toowoomba South child safety service centres officially opened today.
Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle officially opened the centres today with Member for Toowoomba North Kerry Shine.
“Child Safety centres are the bases for our frontline staff – our Child Safety Officers and team leaders - who work directly with children who have been abused or neglected or are at risk of being harmed,” Ms Boyle said.
“Last year in Toowoomba, there were more than 420 substantiated notifications of children who had been harmed or were at risk. There are almost 500 children in care in Toowoomba and about 250 carers,” she said.
Mr Shine said the new child safety centres, co-located at 128 Margaret St, had been designed specifically for child safety staff, who previously had worked out of the Condamine Centre.
“The State Government spent $1.47 million on the fit-out of these centres to make them comfortable for staff and welcoming for children and foster carers,” Mr Shine said.
“Each centre has a children’s play area, a dedicated room for foster and kinship carers to meet among themselves, meeting rooms and a modern, secure reception area,” he said.
There are 67 staff working at the new centres.
Ms Boyle said the Department of Child Safety worked with government and community partners to protect children.
“In the Toowoomba area, community organisations receive over $4 million a year from the Department of Child Safety to help keep local children safe,” Ms Boyle said.
“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.”
The new Toowoomba centres are part of the new Department of Child Safety’s $30 million plan to improve offices across Queensland.
New service centres will open later this year at Woodridge, Caloundra and Nerang. Other centres which have been officially opened this year include Labrador, Ipswich, Edmonton, Beaudesert, Atherton and Redcliffe.
Ends
Media contact: 3224 7477
27 June 2007
Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle officially opened the centres today with Member for Toowoomba North Kerry Shine.
“Child Safety centres are the bases for our frontline staff – our Child Safety Officers and team leaders - who work directly with children who have been abused or neglected or are at risk of being harmed,” Ms Boyle said.
“Last year in Toowoomba, there were more than 420 substantiated notifications of children who had been harmed or were at risk. There are almost 500 children in care in Toowoomba and about 250 carers,” she said.
Mr Shine said the new child safety centres, co-located at 128 Margaret St, had been designed specifically for child safety staff, who previously had worked out of the Condamine Centre.
“The State Government spent $1.47 million on the fit-out of these centres to make them comfortable for staff and welcoming for children and foster carers,” Mr Shine said.
“Each centre has a children’s play area, a dedicated room for foster and kinship carers to meet among themselves, meeting rooms and a modern, secure reception area,” he said.
There are 67 staff working at the new centres.
Ms Boyle said the Department of Child Safety worked with government and community partners to protect children.
“In the Toowoomba area, community organisations receive over $4 million a year from the Department of Child Safety to help keep local children safe,” Ms Boyle said.
“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.”
The new Toowoomba centres are part of the new Department of Child Safety’s $30 million plan to improve offices across Queensland.
New service centres will open later this year at Woodridge, Caloundra and Nerang. Other centres which have been officially opened this year include Labrador, Ipswich, Edmonton, Beaudesert, Atherton and Redcliffe.
Ends
Media contact: 3224 7477
27 June 2007