AUSTRALIA
Fussy foster parents are turning their backs on problem children, child safety workers say.
Child Safety Department officers say it is becoming increasingly difficult to place children with behavioural problems, anger issues, sexualised behaviour and mental health problems. A case worker, who asked not to be named, said carers were only interested in cute, cuddly and well-behaved children.
Child Safety Minister Margaret Keech said the department's preference was to place abused teens with foster carers. But Ms Keech said teens who needed "intensive support" often ended up in residential care homes with full-time youth workers or living on their own, receiving visits from youth workers and child safety officers.
More than 6500 Queensland children who have been removed from their families because of abuse or neglect need foster care. There are only 3300 registered carers. Ms Keech said a $15 million recruitment and training campaign, launched in May, had sparked an unprecedented number of inquiries about foster care. Recent television advertisements costing $1.6 million generated more than 4000 inquiries and Ms Keech hopes the department will be able to recruit at least 500 new carers as a result.
"(The) department is now receiving inquiries in remote areas where we've never had inquiries before," Ms Keech said. "We are already starting to see these inquiries translate into actual foster carers." Ms Keech said there were 60 applications across the state in the final stages of the approval process. It can take up to six months for approvals to be processed in some regions.
Applicants go through a lengthy approval process to assess their suitability and ensure they're aware of their responsibilities as carers.
Hannah Martin
3 August 2008
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24116527-952,00.html
