Foster children living in cold, squalid 'fire trap', Opposition leader alleges in Parliament

The Tasmanian Government is investigating complaints a family of foster children in the North West was forced to live in a "fire trap" house that had maggots in the fridge and no heating.

The State Opposition used the first Parliament Question Time of the year to air allegations against not-for-profit residential care provider Key Assets.

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Opposition Leader Bryan Green asked Human Services Minister Jacquie Petrusma if she was aware of a complaint against Key Assets.

Mr. Green told Parliament the provider was being paid thousands of dollars by the Government but the money was not flowing to carers.

"Some carers are being paid as little as $35 a day for each child and being asked to live in intolerable circumstances," he said.

"In a letter of complaint written to you, the foster parents of six vulnerable siblings from one family tell you they were placed in a four-bedroom house in Burnie in a second story building with windows that wouldn't open — in other words a fire trap — and when they moved in, the fridge was infested with maggots.

"Why are these families being asked to cope with these unacceptable circumstances?"

'Allegations are being investigated'

Ms. Petrusma told Parliament she was made aware of the allegations on Friday.

"These are allegations that are being investigated by the department, and due process will be followed because we are not going to conduct a kangaroo court," she said.

"Any time any allegations in regards to any child, because the child's welfare is of upmost concern, are made they are taken very seriously."

Ms. Petrusma said Key Assets had 56 children in its care.

She was also asked whether the Government had severed financial ties with for-profit provider Safe Pathways.

All children in its care were removed earlier this year following allegations of neglect aired on Four Corners.

The Minister said a process was underway to end contracts with Safe Pathways, but it had not been finalized.

Siblings 'love' their 'mansion': Key Assets

In response to Mr. Green's allegations, Key Assets' Tasmanian director Caroline Brown said the organization had "not received any complaints of maggots in a fridge".

She denied there was a house with stuck windows that was a fire trap.

"In one house, which is a Housing Tasmania property, some of the upstairs windows are painted shut from previous tenants. However, the house has a fire escape which outweighs the temporarily closed windows, which are due to be fixed by Housing Tasmania," she said.

Ms. Brown said the family of foster children cited by Mr. Green "loved" their foster home, which has two heat pumps to keep it warm.

"The six siblings love the house and describe it as a mansion," she said.

"It has six bedrooms and a games room.

"The house also has two heating pumps, which can be expensive but Key Assets acknowledges this and pays the electricity bills," she said.

Ms. Brown said Key Assets prided itself on providing "quality support to our carers".

"The decision by the carers to no longer continue as foster carers were disappointing, but we know that foster care can be challenging and that it's not for everyone," she said.

"In saying that, it can also be the most rewarding thing you will ever do."

True cost of changing to Families SA revealed Child protection workers to undergo stricter psychological testing Suspended Families SA supervisor denies protecting McCoole

FIFTY education or child protection workers have been suspended with pay, a near tenfold rise since crimes including those of Families SA pedophile Shannon McCoole forced major reviews.

Assuming an annual average salary of $60,000, the cost to taxpayers this year will be $3 million.

The Public Service Association has told sirslackcat  some staff has been on forced leave for more than two years as investigations dragged on due to a lack of “leadership” to resolve them.

The union warns a joint failure of government agencies, including SA Police and Crown Law, is harming workers left in limbo, creating costs for taxpayers and worsening understaffing problems.

Freedom of Information documents obtained by the Opposition shows a total of 53 education and child development department staff were suspended in 2015-16, 50 of them with pay.

That compares with 39 overall suspensions the year before, 31 of which were paid.

Just 10 education and child development staff were suspended in 2013-14, six of them on pay.

Education and Child Development Minister Susan Close said the figures showed “better recording and management of critical incidents” since the Debelle Inquiry of 2013.

The State Government was also forced into a major review of hiring policies in 2014, after the arrest of McCoole for abusing children in his care and publishing pornography on the internet.

A subsequent royal commission forced the education and child protection super department to be split, and the union says it is “far too early to tell” if investigations will be sped up.

Opposition waste watch spokesman Sam Duluk said the Government should be alarmed.

“It should be a real concern for the minister that 50 people in her department are currently suspended on full pay,” he said.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE A FLY ON THE WALL watching these protective workers at work with there delicate job of taking peoples children with out warrants and invading a childs privacy how they do these workers are brain washed to get your child under false action realy l feel so sorry for these workers as brain washed to tell lyes in a court of law pretty much sums it up as this department play with your childs life and destroy bonds between your child and you they degrade the father and the mother can get away with so much like assaulting there child letting the child go with out living in a pig stye the mothers get another man to call dad the mothers just get away with it all

Visual arts is both therapeutical and empowering for the those who are unable to escape the cycle of grief.

BEWARE DHS AS KARMA COMES TO THOSE WHO WAIT

Family Court Causes Trauma-Stress

one more week to wait for judges decision on reunification.......the welfare treated me like scum at court and made me cry.....I must stay strong.....three years I have been fighting to get her back on false allegations of not treating her constipation....three years I can never get back....now they are trying to use the law which was changed to suit welfare's needs......its a law saying....that a child who has been in their care for over twelve months and in custody to the secretary...may be put into permanent care.....but I implored the judge to take into account the fact that all legal representatives ,other than welfare's bias lawyers,now concede that I am not guilty and to take into account these last three years of fighting and to also take into count,the fact that I had made her a safe and stable home and not a drug-go or sexual weirdo or an alcoholic.....when she was in my care and am the same today....all I can do is wait.

 

once again rose dont let this department walk over you as they walk over so many others and break familys up with there lyes and wrong infomation about good parents be safe and enjoy your time with a great daughter from sirslackcat