Statement of Commitment Review
Statement of Commitment consultation
The South Australian Statement of Commitment with foster and kinship carers was jointly made by the Department for Child Protection (DCP), Connecting Foster and Kinship Carers SA Inc, and Child and Family Focus SA and recognises that we must work in partnership and value carers as an essential and respected part of the care team for children and young people.
The Statement of Commitment was first published more than 3 years ago and it is time to review it to make sure it continues to meet the needs of family-based carers in South Australia.
Carers from across the state have provided feedback on the Statement of Commitment to DCP and directly to the Minister for Child Protection. This has happened through a range of avenues, including the Minister’s carer round tables, other forums and consultations.
Results from the 2023-24 CF&KC-SA Annual Carer Survey identified that consistent implementation of the Statement of Commitment is lacking across priority partners. Detailed feedback has been provided to DCP to consider in the draft.
Earlier this year the Carer Council was invited by the Minister to supply input, of which we are thrilled to read incorporated into the draft for consultation:
- recognition of the diversity of carers
- more active language in the principles (ie present tense to show ongoing commitment)
- a commitment to collaborate with carers to improve processes and practices
- an acknowledgement of the valuable knowledge that carers hold about the children and young people in their care
Carers are invited to read the draft update and provide your thoughts via a short survey. Your valuable feedback will help to inform the final updated version.
Click here to read more about the survey
Click here to view the draft Statement of Commitment
Click here to access the survey
Consultation closes: Sunday 18 August 2024