Safety fear
Carers question sending kids home
PSYCHOLOGIST reports, a doctor’s advice and letters from advocates, teachers and friends advising against reunification were not enough to keep a Townsville child from harm.
This was just one example of the Department of Children not taking the welfare of foster children seriously, as told by a group of carers fed up with the system.
Their stories are the latest in a series of shocking revelations published by the Townsville Bulletin in the past couple of weeks, as more carers come out of the woodwork to push for change within the department.
“The department are perpetrating child abuse,” one carer said.
Reunification of children into abusive, neglectful biological families was experienced by all six Townsville carers who shared their experiences with the Bulletin this week.
The department has been adamant that independent evaluations are done before a
decision is made to reunify a child, but the carers questioned their legitimacy.
One carer, who cannot be named, sought out their own professional, independent assessments about their foster child, which all concluded that the child shouldn’t be reunified.
“(We spoke to) people who worked with the child, psychologists and advocates … close friends, a schoolteacher, because this child disclosed to those people some things,” the carer said.
“The child disclosed to the child safety officer that she felt unsafe at home.
“It did not make any slight difference, she was still returned home.
“If it suits their purpose, that’s the outcome.”
The decision on whether or not to grant a protection order is decided by a magistrate based on information about the child presented to them at the time.
Department of Children director-general Deidre Mulkerin said the department followed a “very structured practice” when it came to placing a child back at home.
“All decisions regarding reunification decision made by the department relating to children are made in the child’s best interests and in consultation with professionals, the child, the family, foster or kinship carers and relevant stakeholders,” Ms Mulkerin said in a statement.
“The department follows very structured practice and decision-making frameworks when considering reunification, based on professional assessments, recommendations and consultations.”