Parents putting children into state care because of lack of support to manage their disabilities
AT least five children have been given up by their parents and taken into state care because their families could not cope with the child’s disability — not because they were at risk of harm.
AT least five children have been given up by their parents and taken into state care because their families could not cope with the child’s disability — not because they were at risk of harm.
There are fears more families will face the same difficult choice under the National Disability Insurance Scheme if it does not provide enough support for children to be cared for outside of their family home to provide respite to parents.
The State Government confirmed in a submission to the Productivity Commission that, during implementation of the NDIS, “at least five children have been relinquished by their parents to the State Government’s child protection system due to the child’s disability-related support needs”.
“Children ... entering the statutory child protection system due to unmet need for disability-related supports ... rather than harm to the child, is not a desirable outcome,” the submission states.
Nick Xenophon Team Senator Skye Kakoschke-Moore noted the submission was made in March, 2017, and she was “concerned that the number has since increased”.
Senator Kakoschke-Moore said several constituents had contacted her “with concerns about a service gap” between the current arrangements — which enable families to access long-term respite care for a child outside the home — and uncertainty over what would be possible under the NDIS.
“Consistent long-term care arrangements can allow families ... space to provide more positive relationships with their child,” Senator Kakoschke-Moore wrote to SA Disabilities Minister Leesa Vlahos.
Ms Vlahos responded that children who already had an agreement for out-of-home-care would continue to receive funding from the state, if not covered by the NDIS.
People new to the system under the NDIS could receive in or out of home respite “depending on what is considered reasonable and necessary”.
“States and territories have agreed not to run duplicate disability services once the NDIS is introduced,” she wrote.
A spokesman for Ms Vlahos later said: “Under the NDIS, funding is not provided for children to live out of home in full-time 24-hour care”.
“The NDIS will however fund intensive supports in the home, therapeutic services and regular out of home respite if required.”
State Opposition child protection spokeswoman Rachel Sanderson said she had been approached by parents “at the end of their tether... with no choice but to hand (their children) over” to the state.