Updates
QFCC responds to the Queensland Government’s Residential Care Roadmap
The Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) has provided in-principle support for the Queensland Government’s Residential Care Roadmap, with its response detailing about additional action needed to effectively reform the residential care system.
The QFCC’s response says that for the roadmap to be successfully implemented, young people in residential care must be meaningfully involved in decisions, coordinated action from government and the sector is needed, and roadmap actions must be prioritised with urgency.
The review of residential care was completed by the Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services, and the QFCC provided strategic oversight, which involved speaking with more than 200 workers, visiting 16 residential care homes, and hosting workshops with young people who have experience living in residential care.
The QFCC’s response was informed by the key concerns raised throughout the review process, including calls to better support kinship carers and placements, reappraise the design and intent of residential care, review funding and approval processes for providers, stabilise the workforce and build capability, and better integrate residential care with other government services.
The QFCC will continue to provide an ongoing oversight role in the department’s implementation of the roadmap over the next three years, which will involve continued consultation with young people who have experience of residential care and constructive engagement with government agencies and the sector.