Thursday, 9 June 2022

Foster carers

Mr QUILTY (Northern Victoria) (18:29): (1983) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Child Protection and Family Services. Sadly, some kids find themselves in dangerous and neglectful situations in their homes. The foster care system is absolutely vital to protecting them. Finding stable homes for them is often a matter of urgency. I have heard from Victorians who have committed to becoming foster-parents, something I think we can all agree is a great service to the community. This is especially important when there are tens of thousands of children on waiting lists of six months or more for foster homes right across the state right now. According to an independent not-for-profit organisation that supports foster families, OzChild, in 2020 nearly 600 Victorian foster care households exited the system and were only replaced by around 350. We should all be alarmed that there has been a net loss of 250 foster households in Victoria.

It is difficult to say why there has been such a dramatic drop, but one reason has been brought to my attention. This young couple who came to see me signed up to become a foster family and did weeks of training in preparation. But after jumping through the hoops, they received a letter informing them they could not be foster-parents, because they were not vaccinated. They have since heard of many cases similar to their own. On behalf of Victorian children who are waiting to find stable homes, my request to the minister as a matter of urgency is to reverse the policy of rejecting foster-parents because of their vaccination status. Children should not be put at risk for no useful purpose.