‘Forever homes’ for foster care
TOOWOOMBA woman Nadine Wright has proposed an innovative model of foster care which would give traumatised children “forever homes”.
Mrs Wright is the founder of Hope for Our Children and has seen the devastating effects on children bounced between foster homes while she worked at a drug and rehabilitation centre for mothers.
Member for Toowoomba South David Janetzki yesterday praised Mrs Wright’s proposal which focused on children who had been identified as never being able to return to their parents’ care.
Mr Janetzki said often these children were identified very young as babies.
“These kids will spend their whole childhood in care. The time has come to accept that simply throwing more child-safety officers into the department is not going to solve the problem,” he said.
Mrs Wright said the Carmody inquiry into foster care found some children had up to 35 different placements.
“That is 35 different families and homes, 35 different schools, 35 different sets of rules - it is impossible for children to form an identity when they are being bounced around like that,” she said.
Mr Janetzki said that laws needed to be developed to provide greater certainty and safety for abused children while requiring parents to address their abusive behaviours.
“If parents are unable or unwilling to make the necessary life changes within a set timeframe, laws should be passed that allow the government to make permanency orders for children that offer a stable, loving and safe home to grow up in,” he said.