More than $930 million to help protect vulnerable Queensland children

The Palaszczuk Government will provide more than $930 million in 2015-16 to support Queensland families and help protect vulnerable children.

The 2015-16 State Budget continues the Government’s commitment to place early intervention front and centre of its approach to helping Queensland families.

This includes funding of close to $55 million in 2015-16 to help vulnerable families in line with the 10-year implementation of the recommendations of the Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry.

Minister for Child Safety Shannon Fentiman said early intervention could prevent problems within families escalating and affecting children’s safety or wellbeing.

“We need to make sure that when families need help they can get it. We all know that a supportive, happy family life will help raise confident, capable adults,” Ms Fentiman said.

“The safety of children must be paramount, so where they cannot remain in the home, we must provide a supportive and stable environment.”

Key initiatives include:

• $9.3 million in 2015-16 to continue and expand the Family and Child Connect program, which connects families struggling to cope with the services they need. This includes new funding of $4.5 million for six new Family and Child Connect services in Brisbane, Mackay, Mount Isa–Gulf, Cairns and surrounds, Cape York and Torres Strait.

• By 2016 Queensland will have 19 Family and Child Connect services, with funding of $39.8 million over three years which will help 35,000 families each year.

• $24.2 million  in 2015-16 to continue and expand the Intensive Family Support and Domestic and Family Violence services, including new funds of $3.8 million for new Intensive Family Support services in Brisbane, Mackay, Mount Isa–Gulf, Cairns and surrounds,  Cape York and Torres Strait

• $2.4 million in 2015-16 increasing to $3.2 million  in 2016-17 to support the expansion and integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family support and child protection services

• $1.5 million in 2015-16 rising to $2.8 million from 2017-18 for support services for families living in discrete Indigenous communities

• Continuing funds of $3.3 million to fund the statewide network of Next Step after care services to help young people aged 15-21 as they move out of care to independent lives

• $595,000 to design and implement comprehensive health assessments for all children and young people entering statutory care

• $400,000 to assist community sector partners design a consistent therapeutic framework for improved residential care and support for children who have entered care having suffered trauma. 

Media contact: Minister Fentiman’s office 3719 7500