IMPROVING RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR VICTORIAN CHILDREN

On Friday morning Canadian residential care expert Professor James Anglin will speak to Victorian policy makers and service providers about international approaches to improving care outcomes for children and young people.

Professor Anglin of Victoria University in British Columbia is a world recognised authority on therapeutic residential care and has published extensively on ways of improving residential care standards.

The forum comes at a significant time with the Victorian government announcing $91 million to improve out of home care in last week’s state Budget. Government have also committed to develop a five year out of home care plan, which will be released in the near future.

These commitments come on the back of the 2012 Cummins report into Victoria’s Vulnerable Children, which was critical of residential care provision in the state.

The forum – hosted by Victoria’s peak body for child and family services, the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare – will feature leading policy decision makers from Victoria’s services sector, the Department of Human Services and academics.

The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare and its member organisations are committed to the widespread adoption of therapeutic principles for out-of-home care.

There are about 6,200 children in out-of-home care in Victoria with about 478 children living in residential care. Every day about 80 children in Victoria are admitted to out-of-home care, and while many are able to return home, an increasing number are staying in long term care.

CONTACT:

Alistair Perkins

Media Officer

0428 083 238

Deb Tsorbaris

CEO

03 9614 1577