The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to ensuring young people in the care of the state are well looked after.
Documentation released today under Right To Information once again confirms that the Brahminy program in the Northern Territory is a therapeutic residential care program for at risk indigenous and non-indigenous young people who have been unable to participate in mainstream programs.
It is a program which was first utilised by the former Labor-Green Government and its value is currently being reviewed as part of the development of the Government’s Youth At Risk Strategy.
Labor are clearly trying to play politics, requesting details already released or information already known such as the criteria, given it was under the former Premier Lara Giddings, that the arrangement with Brahminy was first set up.
We have been upfront and as open as possible about the three young people who currently attend Brahminy.
Each child and young person in the care of the state is independently assessed and a decision on whether they attend such a program, or are sent to be with family members living interstate, or move with a foster carer who they have been living with, is made with their parent or caregivers being informed and consulted.
All children and young people remain under the care and protection order and case management responsibility of the Tasmanian Government.
Brahminy has been used for young people in Out of Home Care who have complex needs which are unable to be met by local programs that are comparable in cost.
The former Lungtalanana Program run by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre on the Furneaux Islands contract was for young people involved in the youth justice system.
Any attempt to try and compare Brahminy to Lungtalanana is like comparing apples with oranges – Out of Home Care is separate to the youth justice system.