Roger Jaensch,Minister for Human Services
The health, safety and wellbeing of Tasmanians is our number one priority and the Tasmanian Liberal Government is allocating an additional $5.2 million to address family violence and to enhance child safety and wellbeing.
This is part of an overall social and economic support package to help Tasmanian healthcare workers, our businesses, those who are most vulnerable, our economy, our workforce and those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The $2.7 million to address family violence during the virus outbreak will include specific measures like more rapid rehousing places, increased services and one-off packages to support those impacted.
The $2.5 million child safety and wellbeing package includes:
- $260,000 to ensure children and young people in care have internet access and mobile technology for communication and home learning;
- $200,000 to establish an informal kinship carer liaison and support function, providing grandparents and other informal kinship carers with access to necessary advice and support when they require it;
- $50,000 to CREATE that will allow enhanced engagement and advocacy for children and young people in foster care, kinship care and residential care;
- $53,000 to extend the Carer Support Hotline hours to 9am to 8pm weekdays and at other times over the weekend and public holidays;
- $260,000 to provide a one-off immediate $200 payment to foster and kinship carers for each child or young person in their care, so families can purchase essential cleaning or hygiene products;
- $480,000 to provide financial support to CatholicCare's Therapeutic Residential Care Service to keep one additional house open for a six-month period;
- $70,000 for the Flexible Active Families Fund to support children and families receiving family preservation or family restoration support through Child Safety Services or Intensive Family Engagement Services; and
- $1.2 million for an enhanced After Hours Response Service to deliver additional after hours support to children and families at risk.
The Tasmanian Government will do whatever it can to protect Tasmanians, their livelihoods and families and children from the effects of the coronavirus, but we need everyone to look out for each other during this time.
If you know of a family that is not coping, or needs help, to provide for the safety and wellbeing of a child, please call the Strong Families, Safe Kids Advice and Referral Line on 1800 000 123.
