South Australia’s Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Zoe Bettison, has welcomed the introduction of a new program launched by the state’s Child Protection Department, which offers targeted support to family placements within multicultural community settings.

The Finding Families program has brought together a team of senior placement officers dedicated to identifying safe, secure and sustainable family placements with kin or community, for children and young people currently living in residential care.

“As Minister for Multicultural Affairs, I am pleased to share that two staff members from this program with multicultural expertise will be working directly with multicultural communities and the families within them, to find suitable placements for children,” Ms Bettison said.

The program also includes a general team and an Aboriginal-specific partnership with KWY Aboriginal Corporation.

Each team will work closely with DCP case managers and staff in residential care to identify and refer children and young people to the program and then travel across the state, or even country, to find family or community who are suitable and willing to take on the child or young person’s care.

Children aged 10 and under, including sibling groups, are prioritised.

“This team will be flexible and often on the road, having conversations with people of significance to the child or young person, to form a bigger picture of possible support people for the child,” Minister for Child Protection Katrine Hildyard said.

A key part of the program is putting in place appropriate services and supports for the carer to ensure the placement is successful, and the child or young person is kept connected to a family home.

There is also “a strong and clear focus on ensuring cultural factors are considered when finding family-based placements for children.”

According to recent Department data, 15 per cent of children in the child protection system are currently living in residential care.

“All children and young people deserve to grow up in an environment where they feel loved, supported and nurtured, and have opportunities to thrive and reach their potential,” Ms Hildyard said.

The program which will initially be trialed over 12 months sits alongside the $13.4m State Government investment into additional Family Group Conferencing announced through the 2023/2024 State Budget.

For information on how to become a foster carer visit https://www.childprotection.sa.gov.au/children-care/become-foster-carer

If you have an enquiry relating to Finding Families or becoming a carer, you can send an email to findingfamiliesenquirires@sa.gov.au