Budget 2008-09
The 2008-09 Department of Child Safety Budget is a record commitment of $586.6 million, which will be spent to deliver more child protection workers, more support for struggling families and more safe places to live for abused children and young people.
Key elements of the government’s investment in protecting children include:
- a funding boost of $7 million for running costs and $7.6 million in capital funding over four years to set up safe houses staffed by community workers in eastern Cape York Peninsula, the Torres Strait, northern Cape York Peninsula and Mornington Island. Work is underway already to establish similar facilities in Doomadgee, Yarrabah, Palm Island and the Cape York communities of Pormpuraaw, Kowanyama, Aurukun and Weipa/Napranum.
- $26.4 million over four years to add another 12 specially designed or modified group homes to provide safe places to live for abused young people. The government is already progressing three of these homes in Toowoomba, Mackay and the Gold Coast. The homes are for young people aged 12 and over when the abuse they have suffered makes it difficult for them to live in a foster family environment. The houses will have 24-hour on site carers and access to specialist services, including counselling.
- an extra $14 million over four years to boost family intervention services. It helps families where children have been harmed, so that children and young people can safely stay at home, or come back to their families. In 2008-09, this will mean $12 million to work with an estimated 1800 families.
- an extra $29.8 million over four years for extra child protection workers, including $6 million in 2008-09 for about 40 new workers, plus improved career paths to help keep them. This staffing boost will put extra workers into high-need communities where abused children and young people most need help.
- $70.7 million directly to foster and kinship carers to support their work caring for abused and neglected children.
- more than $183 million to non-government organisations for a range of services, including recruiting, training, assessing and supporting carers; finding carers and other safe places to live for abused children; and caring for children and young people in group homes and other safe places. Of the $183 million, $3.2 million will provide safe places to live and specialist help for severely abused children and young people, including specialist, one-on-one carers. This will be targeted at children and young people whose existing care arrangements are at risk of breaking down because of their high needs.
Other key elements of the 2008-09 child safety investment include:
- a further $3 million instalment in the four-year One Chance at Childhood initiative to provide greater stability for babies and toddlers in the child protection system. This money will go towards recruiting and supporting specialist staff working on cases involving children aged up to four years.
- $5.2 million for adoption services, including finalising 85 local and international adoptions for Queensland families.
The 2008-09 Department of Child Safety portfolio budget also includes $5.8 million for the Office of Women, which provides ongoing policy advice across a range of issues affecting women as well as practical state-wide programs such as financial literacy courses for young and Indigenous women. The budget estimates the office will handle around 30,000 inquiries in 2008-09.
For more information see Budget Highlights or visit the State Budget website.
- Last updated
- 3 June 2008
