The NSW Government has ended unaccredited emergency accommodation for vulnerable children in out-of-home care (OOHC), marking a significant milestone for the state’s child protection system.
This week, the last child living in an Alternative Care Arrangement (ACA) was transitioned to more appropriate, supportive accommodation with an accredited provider. For the first time in 20 years, there are no children living in unaccredited emergency accommodation tonight.
This reform comes after heartbreaking firsthand accounts and numerous reports highlighted the terrible outcomes for children living in ACAs. In one report, a child likened their experience to ‘a dog being moved from cage to cage’.
In response, the Minister for Families and Communities, Kate Washington, established a specialist team within the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) to deliver one of the most significant reform efforts in the foster care system in years – eliminating ACAs for good.
“When we came into government, more and more children were being placed in high cost emergency arrangements like hotels and motels. It was the worst symptom of our broken child protection system, and vulnerable children were paying the price,” said Minister Washington.
“After hearing heartbreaking stories from children who had been placed in hotels and motels, I knew we had to act.
“Ending ACAs has only been possible because of the tireless efforts of our dedicated staff and the incredible people in the community who have stepped up to become emergency foster carers.
“Every single foster carer in NSW changes the trajectory of a young person’s life, and we desperately need more.
“This is a huge step forward, but we know there’s still so much more to do. We’re continuing the hard work of reforming the child protection system so that every child can feel safe and loved.”
Minister Washington said that ending ACAs required the tireless work of DCJ staff and frontline caseworkers.
In November 2023, 139 children were living in ACAs. Since then, every child has been moved into a safer and more stable placement. Some have been safely restored to their parents, some have been placed with foster carers, some are now living in intensive therapeutic care homes or other accredited emergency arrangements, and some have transitioned to specialist disability accommodation.
A cornerstone of the Government’s landmark reform has been recruiting emergency foster carers. As a result, over 1,000 children have been placed in homes instead of hotels.
“The safety and wellbeing of children and families is our highest priority,” said Secretary of the Department of Communities and Justice, Michael Tidball.
“Ending the use of ACAs represents a significant milestone in our comprehensive plan for reform across the child safety and wellbeing system in NSW.
“It is a crucial step in our vision to support families to stay together wherever possible and, when not, ensure safe, stable, and nurturing homes for children.”
Despite significant progress, the Government says hundreds of children remain in emergency accommodation simply because there aren’t enough carers to meet the demand.
“It is great to hear that there has been an increase in emergency foster carers, as ACAs have detrimental effects on children who have already endured so much trauma,” said emergency and respite foster carer, Hayley Van Duijn.
“It has been an incredibly rewarding experience for our family to provide emergency care for foster children.
“I’d encourage more families to consider opening up their homes to these beautiful vulnerable children.”
For more information about becoming a foster carer, visit DCJ’s foster care website.
