Secret briefing paper lifts lid on Labor's state care nightmareSunday, March 14, 2010 Sunday 14 March 2010 Young Victorians are caught in a downward spiral after leaving state care because of the Brumby Government’s inaction and failure to heed repeated warnings, Shadow Minister for Community Services Mary Wooldridge said today. A secret internal Brumby Government briefing paper, obtained by the Coalition under Freedom of Information, has lifted the lid on the nightmare of Labor’s out of home care system. The secret briefing paper reveals young people who have left state care have poorer educational outcomes and higher rates of crime and homelessness than other Victorians. "The Brumby Government admits in this secret briefing paper that the number of children requiring out of home care has ‘exceeded expectations’ with too few places to meet the desperate need for accommodation," Ms Wooldridge said today. "The plight of vulnerable young Victorians has been worsened by Labor’s failure to reverse a massive decline in the number of foster carers. "Departing foster carers cite financial stress and inadequate support as factors in their decision, but John Brumby has stopped listening." While Labor admits that unstable placements compound feelings of low self-worth and perceptions of rejection, it still tolerates 25 per cent of young people in state care living in three or more places with 8 per cent having an alarming five or more placements. The shortage of out of home care means growing numbers of young people are placed in contingency accommodation that is often unplanned, ad hoc and highly expensive. The briefing paper states that:
"These appalling statistics highlight the incompetence of John Brumby and his government and their failure to deliver support to vulnerable young Victorians," Ms Wooldridge said.
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