- Media release

From the Minister for Community Services

Monday, 24 March 2003
PROGRAM TO IMPROVE LIVES OF VICTORIAN CHILDREN IN CARE

Community Services Minister Sherryl Garbutt today launched a $2.1 million program to improve the quality of care for Victorian children and young people in foster and residential care.

Unveiling details of the Looking After Children (LAC) framework, Ms Garbutt said it provides carers with a uniform framework for identifying and meeting the needs of young people in their care.

“This framework provides a common set of care standards based on what any good parent does when caring for their children, ” Ms Garbutt said.

“It ensures that everyday needs of children and young people in care are attended to such as making sure the children’s teeth are properly looked after or following up on medical appointments, vaccinations and school appointments.

“There are thousands of things carers need to remember and this framework will serve as a checklist of children’s needs.

“This new approach will ensure that foster carers and residential carers are provided with the essential information that they need to carry out their important role as carers.”

Ms Garbutt said all 44 community agencies providing out of home care in Victoria are working with the Government to ensure the successful implementation of the LAC framework.

“Up to 6000 children and young people are expected to benefit from the framework over the next 18 months,” Ms Garbutt said.

“The program will ensure their needs are identified from the start of a placement, plans are put in place to meet those needs and their progress is regularly reviewed.

“Looking After Children is about good parenting and good outcomes for those children and young people who are unable to live with their own families.”

Ms Garbutt said the program also provides community agencies with a common framework for their client records.

“It establishes good processes for sharing and keeping important information affecting the health and well-being of each child,” she said.

Ms Garbutt said 47 experienced out of home workers had been trained to implement the LAC framework in the coming months. The workers will be based across Victoria and will educate foster carers and residential carers to use the LAC framework effectively.

Media contact: Sarah McKinnon 9651 5799 or 0409 008 412 www.vic.gov.au