News

Today I had the pleasure of opening the 2019 Department for Child Protection SA Residential Care Art Exhibition.

This year’s event was themed ‘What do you connect with? People? Places? Nature? Culture?’

There are 50 entries from children aged between 2 and 16 years and some amazing art, gorgeous colours, creativity and textures.

Great crowd building for the start of Stage 1 of the Tour Down Under on O'Connell Street - starting from North Adelaide and finishing in Port Adelaide. Good luck to all the cyclists!
#tourdownunder #TDU #TDU2019 #Adelaide

In anticipation of the hot weather that is expected over the next week, I have been dropping off some electrolyte icy poles to some of my elderly constituents to help them keep their fluids up and stay cool.

If you know of anyone who might benefit from “Telecross” – a service where Red Cross gives you a daily telephone call to check on your well-being – please phone 1300 885 698 to register.

Yesterday I joined foster carers, NGO staff and department staff to view the movie called “Instant Family”.

The movie is based on the Directors own experience of becoming foster carers. Their instant family consisted of 3 siblings, one who only eats potato chips, another who reacts sensitively to every instance and a rebellious teenager made for this heart-warming story about their journey.

From today, family-based carers will be able to access carer payments for young people up to age 21, providing greater stability and opportunities for them to thrive and reach their full potential.

The Liberal Government will pilot a ground-breaking new early intervention program specifically developed for South Australian families at risk of having their children enter the child protection system.

The State Government will close the 12-bed Queenstown Community Unit in response to ongoing concerns regarding the care of children and young people living in the large-scale residential care facility.

In addition to closing Queenstown, the Department for Child Protection will develop a new out of home care model to better support Aboriginal children and young people in care by April 2019.

The State Government will today table the first annual report for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, detailing significant steps that have been taken to better protect children.

This whole-of-government report, which is the first of five, demonstrates the work happening across agencies to make institutions safer for children.

A new State Government pilot program being delivered by two leading community organisations is helping young people in care with complex needs transition smoothly into adult life in regional South Australia.

A newly formed State Government Taskforce has been charged with redesigning South Australia’s child abuse and neglect early intervention and prevention system.

The Taskforce establishment forms part of the Marshall Liberal Government’s commitment to targeting early intervention and prevention, with the aim of reducing the impact and extent of child abuse and neglect in South Australia.