OzChild CEO welcomes LNP pledge of $26 million of paid foster care

It is hoped paying foster carers up to $75,000 a year will help attract more people to open their homes to vulnerable and traumatised children.

Talking about the success OzChild had in reuniting displaced children with their families are (from left) Specialist foster carer Natalie Sykes, Shadow treasurer and Toowoomba South MP David Janetzki, OzChild CEO Lisa Griffiths.

OzChild CEO Lisa Griffiths has welcomed the LNP’s pledge to pay careers $27 million to take on a foster child, saying the funding would ease pressure on Queensland’s overburdened residential care system.

“I would love to see both sides of government commit to a long-term investment, and I am encouraged to see one side has,” Dr Griffiths said.

“It’s bold and is necessary to change the trajectory for young people in Queensland.

“We have had the highest rise in the number of children going into residential care, the need for a professional model of care is critical to stem that crisis.”

For the past seven years, OzChild has run a specialised foster care service that pays families to open their homes to high-needs children, while also supporting them with a team of clinicians, therapists and teachers.

The program takes in children from homes scarred by domestic violence, drug abuse, neglect and sexual abuse who are unable to stay in long-term foster care because of their own behaviour or mental health issues.

“We work intensively with the child and their family,” Dr Griffiths said.

“If they are struggling with drug and alcohol issues, or with parenting capacity, we will work with them.”

Importantly, the foster carers are able to devote all the time to the child in care instead of having to work a second job.

About 57 per cent of children who have graduated from the OzChild program transitioned to a long-term foster home, while 43 per cent per went back to live with their family, or to kin care.

It costs about $300,000 per child but while that may seem like a lot, it dwarfs the costs of residential care.

“A typical residential care placement can cost from $400,000 to $1 million,” Dr Griffiths said.

“Through our program children go back home about 50 per cent of the time, or they step down into a long-term foster care placement.

“They don’t represent back into the Department Child Safety system, so those costs are avoided permanently.”

In 2022 the State Government spent $176 million on residential care in the Darling Downs and South West Queensland, to care for 398 children.

The most expensive child in the system at the time cost $1.9 million, for one year of care.

Toowoomba South MP and Opposition treasury spokesman said a holistic approach was needed to drive down costs and provide better outcomes for children.

“We have seen the significant long-term costs, and we know that children coming to the attention of the Youth Justice System have often come through the Child Safety system and the residential care system,” he said.

“We understand that there needs to be a long-term investment if we are to turn some of these generational challenges around.

“There is no doubt that there are workforce challenges, and we need to keep trying our best to attract people into the system. With programs like this and the right investment from the government, we can attract the right people into the system, but it will remain a challenge.”

Originally published as OzChild CEO welcomes LNP pledge of $26 million of paid foster care