Regional areas including the Illawarra and Shoalhaven are faring the worst from a NSW child protection system “which is failing to keep up with the increasing number of kids at risk of harm”.
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Lead family and community services advocacy group, Fams also pointed to the government’s own data to highlight that the number of kids deemed at risk of significant harm across NSW had skyrocketed 32 per cent over five years to nearly 90,000.
“FACS’ own data shows the current system is not working and kids are experiencing more vulnerability, not less,” Fams CEO Julie Hourigan Ruse said.
“Regional areas like Illawarra Shoalhaven are faring the worst, with significant increases in the number of kids at risk.”
Department of Family and Community Services’ (FACS) own figures show that there are now over 5300 children in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven district deemed at-risk of significant harm.
This represents an increase of 26 per cent over five years.
Only 37 per cent of these children received a face-to-face response from a FACS caseworker, as a chronic undersupply of staff leaves caseworkers unable to cope with increasing demand.
But a FACS spokesperson said there has been an increase to the number of caseworkers in the Illawarra Shoalhaven District since July 2017.
“The district continues to work closely with non-government organisations to assess and provide support to children reported at risk of significant harm.”
The 65 children in every 1000 at risk of harm in the Illawarra/Shoalhaven is also an increase of 21 per cent over five years and 20 per cent higher than the NSW average.
The rate of young people living in Out Of Home Care in the Illawarra/Shoalhaven remains well above the state average, with 16 in every 1000 kids being removed from their families. The state average is 11.
“Local service providers are stretched, the programs tested in cities don’t necessarily suit regional kids’ unique needs, and not all programs or support services are even funded in all areas,” Ms Hourigan Ruse said.
“Urgent action is needed to give FACS and the sector more resources to ensure every child at risk of significant harm is assessed and receives an appropriate, tailored service from a specialist worker.
“We need to support kids before they end up swimming against the tide.”
The FACS spokesperson said the number of children entering care in NSW had fallen for the second year in a row.
Frontline caseworkers were now seeing almost 1 in 3 children as a statewide average, compared to 1 in 5 in 2010.
“Frontline caseworkers have also seen a record number of children reported at risk of significant harm – with 15,000 additional children seen in 2016-17 compared to 2010-11,” the spokesperson said.