Tasmanian children in out-of-home care continue to be placed at risk by the Liberal government's failure to act on inadequate staffing.
Child safety workers, foster carers and young people in out of home care have raised serious concerns about children on 18-year orders no longer being allocated a case worker - instead being allocated to a team for any case management or support required.
The decision means more than 300 children and young people, many of whom have complex needs - and the foster carers who care for them - will be managed by two teams, currently comprising just 11 child safety officers across both teams.
They have been given an email address and phone number with no guarantee of who they will reach at the other end - but staff have advised them that their only option is to call or email because they don't believe they will receive any proactive calls or visits.
Child safety officers have told us the decision to no longer allocate individual case workers to children on 18-year orders was made with no consultation with them, with foster carers, or with children and young people.
These are the very people who know and understand the system and the need for adequate numbers of case workers to keep children and young people safe.
This decision has left foster families and children and young people feeling abandoned and vulnerable, and child safety officers feeling frustrated and helpless.
Instead of obsessing over a $750 million stadium, this government needs to start addressing the real priorities facing Tasmania, and there can be no greater priority than keeping children safe.
Sarah Lovell MLC
Shadow Minister for Child Safety
