A need for state laws to formally recognise informal kinship carers has been earmarked by Kin Raising Kids Tasmania as an urgent priority.
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The Informal Kinship Care Review was released in December 2020, and a summary report prepared by Communities Tasmania outlining the eight recommendations set out by the reviewer Frank Ogle.
Communities Tasmania has accepted the recommendations, and $500,000 of government funding was granted to start implementing the initiatives under the Informal Kinship Care Program over the next year.
Kin Raising Kids Frank Tyers said they were very pleased with the recommendations but wanted to continue to work over some of the details.
For instance, it wants to see the Grandparents Living with Grandchildren program extended beyond the three months limit, and mentioned that a lack of computer literacy would make it difficult for some to access a digital information resource.
Mr Tyers said reviews of child safety service files, found under recommendation five, was a welcome move but suggested the recommendation go even further.
"The system needs to be more transparent, with a formal complaint system attached to it. We are basically saying they need to offer an external appeal system for informal carers, so that they have a means of appeal."
He said recommendation seven needed to happen.
This recommendation states that changes to the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1997 should be considered, to legally recognise informal kinship carers as a specific cohort in need of support service and assistance.
Other recommendations include the establishment of an informal kinship care support and liason office based in the North West, an extension of government concessions and education, health and counselling services to the children in informal care, as well as increased training opportunities for informal carers.
This training referred to parenting and behavioural management training, the Bringing Up Great Kids Program and mediation, conflict resolution and communication training.
Communities Tasmania said in its Recommendations report that it accepted all eight of the guidelines.
It said it acknowledged the valuable role of non-parent carers, and the resilience of all kinship carers given the day to day challenges that they can experience.
"Communities Tasmania will also develop options for extending more existing Government programs to informal kinship carers...[and] undertake targeted case reviews to examine decision making and promote greater clarity for informal kinship carers," it said.
"The Recommendations flowing from this Review are focused on both short and long term strategies designed to improve and better respond to the needs of informal kinship carers in Tasmania whilst recognising the reality of timeframes to achieve change."
