Wednesday, 4 March 2026

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:16): My question is to the Minister for Children. Victoria has recorded a net loss of more than 1300 foster carers over the past four years. Data in the last year shows an almost 300 net loss. Speaking with me today, carers say that they feel the system is disrespecting, disregarding and devaluing them. Minister, under your watch Victoria is losing foster carers at twice the rate it can recruit them. What immediate actions will you take to fix a system that carers themselves say is disrespectful, broken and driving them out?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:16): Thank you, Ms Bath, for your question and for your interest in these matters. At the outset I would also take the opportunity to remind the house of the important caring work that we do. Indeed you spoke to this yesterday when we were passing landmark, nationally – indeed internationally – leading child protection reforms that this side of the house had brought to this chamber, and I was very pleased that we were able to have a genuinely I think bipartisan conversation around those issues. I hope that that spirit continues in the nature of this question, because these are really important reforms. In your contribution on those bills yesterday you spoke about the work of both foster carers and kinship carers. When we look at the situation in Victoria, we are nationally leading in the number of kinship carers that we have. The majority of children who are cared for by foster carers or kinship carers are cared for by kinship carers. I make that point first and foremost.

But what I will say is that we absolutely and I think all sides and all quarters of this house recognise that we are indebted to those who are carers in our system, and that is why our government supports carers in our system. As you know, we have care allowances, we have new placement allowances, we have education assistance payments, we have client expenses, we have the care support help desk, the care hub and the CaringLife app. We have further supports available for carers like the Victorian carers card, the concessions and the Carer Kafe and in addition to that we also have supports like free public transport, the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund, the Get Active Kids vouchers and the $100 power saving bonus, so we have a range of ways in which we support carers and those in our community.

Melina Bath: On a point of order, President, I know the minister is responding, but this is a narrow question about the net loss, the net drain, of foster carers out of the system. These things may be in place, but the system is still broken and people are still leaving. I ask you to bring the member back to answer the question.

The PRESIDENT: The question was: what are you doing as a minister about this? I thought she was being relevant and comprehensive, but I will let the minister continue.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: I was indeed taking the opportunity to acknowledge that we all value the role of carers and the various ways in which our government seeks to support carers. The member also asked what we are doing in terms of reform in the system. Just yesterday we passed some landmark child protection reforms in this place, and indeed it is this side of the house that is continuing to bring those reforms. If the member had done her homework she would also be across the further work that we are doing in reforming foster care in terms of being able to make more foster –

Melina Bath interjected.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Sorry, it is very difficult to answer the question if I am being interrupted by the member.

What I do want to draw to the attention of the house is that we are making improvements to the foster care system, ensuring that we have a system that is targeted. As a result last year we established up to 200 new therapeutic foster care placements, which provide more carers, children and young people in foster care with that access to enhanced therapeutic supports, and that really is an acknowledgement that the children and young people that we – (Time expired)

 Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:20): Long-term carers are saying that they are being treated like second-class citizens and they are routinely reprimanded when they advocate and speak up for the wellbeing and needs of children in their care. Indeed children are saying – and this was presented to me today in relation to a child that wants to stay in the foster care system:

Dear Government

Now listen up!

Do you even care?

You say its our choice but you dont care. Make it for the kids, listen to us. Keep me safe!!!

Minister, will you and your department treat foster and kinship carers with the respect they deserve and put vulnerable children first?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Children, Minister for Disability) (12:21): I am not quite sure where to start with that question. As the chamber well knows, this would be a highly inappropriate place to canvass individual matters. But if the member has circumstances – and indeed I have followed up many matters for the member before, so she knows to contact my office and how to do it – if she has legitimate concerns such as those, I would be very concerned to hear that there were people being reprimanded for raising things that they think are in the best –

Melina Bath interjected.

Lizzie BLANDTHORN: Sorry, Ms Bath, if you would like me to answer your questions, it is very difficult when you are interrupting me. If there are particular concerns that you would like followed up on behalf of people who you feel have been reprimanded for raising matters that are in the best interests of the children in their care, then I would ask that you follow the appropriate process and refer them through my office so that I can seek the advice of the department on those matters.