"Figures show over 300 children absconded from government care last year"
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- Category: Uncategorised
- Created: Wednesday, 12 March 2014 23:30
- Written by http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-13/over-300-children-absconded-from-government-care-last-year/5317524?section=vic
The Victorian Opposition says Department of Human Services (DHS) figures show the state's child protection system is in crisis.
Labor has seized on the latest DHS quarterly report which shows 335 children and teenagers absconded from care in dangerous circumstances last year.
The report also shows targets are not being met for the investigation of child abuse.
The revelations come days after the ABC revealed paedophile gangs have been targeting children in state care.
The Opposition's community services spokeswoman, Jenny Mikakos, says child protection is understaffed and underfunded particularly in residential care.
"The level of resourcing, the level of funding means typically there will only be one staff member on in the evening, overnight," she said.
"So that if a child was to abscond, the staff member is not able to leave the unit and this is when children are preyed on by paedophiles."
She says the Government needs to look at the fundamentals of the system including the resourcing of the child protection agencies.
"When they (child protection agencies) are coming out and saying to the Government that they are underfunded and therefore children are not safe, that should be ringing alarm bells within Government," Ms Mikakos said.
"They need to take urgent action to ensure that our vulnerable children are safe when they are in the state's care."
Community Services Minister, Mary Wooldridge, concedes the report highlights "a number of challenges within the child protection system."
"But on each of these measures the outcomes in relation to the provision of those child protection services is substantially better than it was when we came to government," she said.
"We are improving the way we work with vulnerable children and families and that's a result of a strategic approach which brings management techniques and principles, has invested substantially and is actually reforming the way we provide these services.
Premier Denis Napthine insists the child protection system is improving.
"We've worked hard to improve the child protection system but there's more to be done," he said. (Source : http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-13/over-300-children-absconded-from-government-care-last-year/5317524?section=vic)
