CEO reflections on SA State Budget 2026-27

5 June 2026

CFKC CEO reflections on South Australian Budget 2026-27 

I wanted to provide some insights and analysis about yesterday’s South Australian Budget.  

Before I start, there are two points I want to reflect on.  

First, a budget after an election traditionally is about delivering commitments. This is what we saw in yesterday’s budget. The government allocated funding to areas like housing, education infrastructure, and the abolition of fees at public schools. This is what the government was elected on.  

Second, there are big changes to the child protection system coming next year with the implementation of the legislation. I would expect a reform and budget package next year to align with this. This will be a major focus for CFKC: building the narrative and business case for better support for family-based carers and reducing the reliance on residential care. We know this is strong both socially and economically – and it’s our job to continue to build this case.  

These two reasons are why I didn’t expect to see much for foster and kinship carers, and the children and young people they care for, in the 2026-27 Budget.  

However, I had hoped and expected there would be something to address the immediate cost of living pressures currently being faced by family-based carers.  

As we saw in our recent pulse survey, many foster and kinship carers are struggling due to huge increases in the cost of living.   This is eating into available funds for activities that are essential for a child or young person’s psychosocial development – which carers are often expected to pay for.  

Foster and kinship carers are an essential part of the state’s responsibility to care for vulnerable children and young people. Carers are not paid to do this – they get assistance, but they open their homes and hearts based on their love and commitment.  

By not addressing this challenge, the state is shifting the costs of caring for children in its guardianship onto foster and kinship carers; impacting the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable children and young people and the people who care for them.  

The lack of investment will have impacts on these children and young people, placement stability and activities essential for the psycho-social development of children and young people under the guardianship of the Department for Child Protection.  

This is not acceptable. 

With this in mind, I provide a summary of relevant budget elements: 

  • $350 million over five years to support children and young people in care. This sounds like a big figure. But in reality, it is just a more realistic costing of child protection – every year there is overspend because it has been costed incorrectly. This figure simply reflects reality of delivery costs and, as such, is supported. 
  • $230 million over five years for Thriving Kids. As you will see in today’s CFKC Member newsletter, the changes in the NDIS are a major focus for CFKC. This is because children and young people in the care system have a higher prevalence of developmental delay, mild to moderate autism, and ADHD, and we are worried they will fall through the cracks. While this investment is important, further detail is needed about what this will mean in practice, and carers, children and young people in care need to be a focus.  
  • $76 million over four years to ‘Keep Kids off Screens’. There are some elements of this initiative, including before and after school programming, which may increase opportunities for children and young people in care.  
  • $8.5 million for a commission to undertake truth-telling and progress treaty. It is important to look at and consider the long history of child removal and the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children and young people in care as part of reconciliation, and to begin walking down a path to better outcomes and community connection. I have seen truth-telling be an incredibly powerful way of having these discussions and welcome this initiative.  
  • $0.34 million over four years to increase the grant to Grandcarers SA to support grandparents and other informal carers to achieve positive outcomes for themselves and the children in their care through financial assistance, support, information and advocacy. 
  • $0.12 million over two years to Connecting Foster and Kinship Carers SA. This funding will partially assist maintain current staffing levels for the Carer Advocacy Service.  

If you have any further insights of questions, please send them through to ceo@cfc-sa.org.au.  

Russell Hooper
Chief Executive Officer
Connecting Foster and Kinship Carers SA