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Parliamentary Questions


Question On Notice No. 1105 asked in the Legislative Council on 10 April 2018 by Hon Alison Xamon

Question Directed to the: Leader of the House representing the Minister for Child Protection
Parliament: 40 Session: 1


Question

I refer to the National Children’s Commissioner’s Children’s Rights Report 2017, and specifically to Recommendation 16 regarding the collection of data on young people receiving child protection and care services who have children, and I ask:
(a) how many young people in the care of the CEO are parents;
(b) how many children of young people in the care of the CEO are themselves in the care of the CEO;
(c) how many of the young parents from (a) are:
(i) in foster care; and
(ii) in a foster care arrangement that includes both the young parent and their child/children;
(d) of the young parents from (a), who are not in foster care, please advise:
(i) the type of care arrangement each young parent is in; and
(ii) whether their child/children is in the same care arrangement;
(e) does the department deliver any targeted interventions to support young parents in the care of the CEO;
(f) if yes to (e), please provide information about any specific interventions provided; and
(g) if no to (f), why not?

Answered on 12 June 2018

(a) As at 12 April 2018, 15 young people in care are parents.

 (b) As at 12 April 2018, four children of young people in the care of the CEO are themselves in the care of the CEO.

 

(c)

 

(i) One young person is currently placed with a family carer.

(ii) There are no placements which include both the young parent and their child.

 

(d) The young parents are living in the following care arrangements:

(i) One in detention

     Five in independent living

     Three with a parent or guardian

     One in residential care

     Four in self-selected placements

 (ii)There are no children living in the same care arrangement.

 (e) Yes

 

(f) The following targeted services are available to young vulnerable parents, including parents in the care of the CEO:

 The Best Beginnings Plus service is delivered as part of Intensive Family Support teams. The service is an earlier intervention, intensive home visiting program that works alongside families with unborn babies or infants at risk of neglect and/or abuse. Priority access to the service is provided for children in the care of the CEO who are parents or expectant parents where there has been an assessment which indicates harm or risk of harm to the child.

  • The Department of Communities provides funding to community sector organisations to deliver the following services:
    • Support for Young Women Leaving Care, provided by Parkerville Children and Youth Care Inc (Parkerville) - provides medium term accommodation and support for up to eight young women (16 to 25 years) leaving child protection, including young women with children; and
    • Parkerville’s Penny Jones service - provides medium term accommodation and support to young women (aged 15 to 25 years) who are single and/or pregnant and are homeless or at risk of homelessness;
    • Anglicare WA YES Housing service - provides support to young people including young parents aged 16 to 25 years in Housing Authority properties;
    • Anglicare WA Foyer Oxford service - provides support for up to 98 young people, including 24 young parents. Twenty per cent of placements to this service is prioritised for young people in care or those previously in the care of the CEO.
  • (g) Not applicable 
    •