OUT-OF-HOME
CARE — INDEPENDENT LIVING
446. Dr K. STRATTON to the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment
to supporting vulnerable young Western Australians.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on how this government's groundbreaking Home
Stretch program is supporting more young Western
Australians to transition from out-of-home care and towards independence?
(2) Can the
minister outline how this pioneering program builds on this McGowan Labor
government's record of supporting those in our child protection system?
Ms S.F. McGURK
replied:
(1)–(2)
I thank the member for Nedlands for the question. I will answer it by telling
the story of two young people who are the
product of our Western Australian child protection system. One is Shell
Jacovic, who is a 30-year-old teacher. She actually just got her
certification to become a level 3 teacher. She spoke recently at the Western Australian Achiever Awards, which I was very
happy the Premier was able to attend, because that is a fantastic
celebration of young people in care who are going on to university, training, apprenticeships or work. Shell spoke about her
journey in the child protection system. Due to tragic domestic violence
circumstances, Shell and her three siblings came into care when she was seven
years old. She had a number of placements, but she talked about the constant
that had been in her life in child protection, and that was two of her care
workers, Rick and Tania. In fact, Rick still catches up with Shell and her
siblings and they have Christmas together.
Shell also spoke afterwards about
being in her final year at school studying for her ATAR and being told when she
turned 18 that there was no longer financial support for her under the child
protection system, and told by her foster carers that she would need to make
her own arrangements, which she did, to her credit. She couch surfed; she
stayed with friends, including when she was at university. As I said, she has gone on to be a teacher and she has a partner. She
delivered her messages very passionately and eloquently, and we are very
grateful to her for telling her personal story.
We
also heard on the weekend from Tyler, who has just turned 21. Tyler has been
involved in the trial of Home Stretch and
the extension of child protection supports for young people aged from 18 to 21
years. We have been piloting this for the last couple of years. In his
words, Tyler said, ''I can't speak more highly of Home Stretch''.
He has a mentor who was also present at the media event we held at the weekend.
He said that Home Stretch had enabled him to get his responsible service of
alcohol certification and a forklift ticket. He also has accommodation now, and
the Invest in Me fund payment of $2 500, which is part of the Home Stretch
package, enabled him to make the accommodation that he had been given a home.
He was able to get some of the basic supports. I think that most of the Western
Australian public knows that young people are often not ready—probably
many of us at 18 were not ready—to make it on their own in the world,
and when we think about young people who are in our child protection system,
they have had their fair share and more of challenges thrown at them with the
difficulties that have brought them to the child protection system.
I am very, very proud of the Home
Stretch program. It will be rolled out initially in the metropolitan area, but
through the rest of the state by the end of the year. It will provide support
for young people and they can use that money either to stay with their foster
carers or as some sort of housing support. They will have a mentor whom they can work with, and, as I said before, they will
have an Invest in Me fund payment of $2 500 that they can put towards
education or however they want to spend that money in liaison with the
provider. Initially, Yorganop, which is an Aboriginal-controlled organisation,
will manage that rollout in the metropolitan area, and then we will work with
existing providers throughout the rest of the state.
This
is something that I am very proud of, as I think it will be significant for the
between 250 and 350 young people who age out of care in our child
protection system each year. It is a very, very significant change. I would
like to acknowledge not only the community sector organisations like Anglicare
and others that have championed this policy over the whole country, but also
particularly the child protection workers and foster carers in our state who
provide support day in and day out to young people in care. It is very
difficult to capture the public's imagination about our child
protection system and how child protection works,
but I think that most people get it with Home Stretch. It has made them
understand that, in fact, we provide some support, but we need to
provide a bit more. That is what the McGowan government is doing. It is a $37.2 million support. As I have
heard the Premier say, as a result of good financial management, we can
start to invest in life-changing policies, which is what the Home Stretch
program is; I am very proud of it.