The Minister for Families and Communities has confirmed in Budget Estimates Hearings today that the out of home care service provider that was subject of a forensic audit under Project Mareeba is Allambi Care. Out of home care service providers are responsible for ensuring vulnerable young people in NSW can be kept safe and secure where they cannot safely remain at home.
Greens MP and spokesperson for Youth Justice, Sue Higginson said:
"The report from Project Mareeba is sober reading, and the discovery that Allambi Care has engaged in the significant misuse of public money is a shocking revelation, but unsurprising. We have been watching the out of home care system outsourced, privatised and falling further into crisis for a long time now,"
"This provider receives some $70 million each year in public monies in order to provide care for some of the most vulnerable young people in NSW, this report reveals serious issues including a property investment scheme for senior employees that is profiting from money intended to support children,"
"Out of home care providers in NSW are a critical part of our program of supporting young people, there are many good providers that are compliant with the rules and who deliver critical services. It's fundamental that organisations who are acting in bad faith are stopped and held to account,"
"I acknowledge that Minister Washington has been pursuing this much-needed greater oversight and is working to reform a system that was left in crisis by the former Coalition Government, but I am keen to hear how she will be ensuring that good faith organisations, particularly Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations will not be punished for the wrongs committed by other providers. It is Aboriginal Controlled Community Organisations who are carrying the biggest load in this system because of the overrepresentation of First Nations children in the system,"
"This system needs to be accountable and safe, but we cannot allow critical services for vulnerable young people to be compromised by quick solutions that demand a one size fits all solution. This is a good step, but it's just one of many," Ms Higginson said.
