Caseworkers launch campaign to address crisis in child protection

Child protection caseworkers from across the state will meet in Sydney today to address the growing crisis in care of kids at risk in NSW.

Family and Community Services budget cuts, staffing cuts and the rapid outsourcing of foster care to the non-government sector are jeopardising the care of the state's most vulnerable children, said Public Service Association Assistant Secretary Steve Turner.

"This government has demonstrated it cares more about the budget bottom line than about properly resourcing child protection and foster care," said Mr Turner.

"It has cut staff when the department already has a chronic shortage of case workers; it has cut payments to foster carers; and it is outsourcing foster care to a sector that doesn't have the capacity and experience to handle the growing number of children identified as being at risk.

"Our members already struggle to meet extreme workloads. Meantime, foster carers are under pressure and budget cuts mean funding is continually being knocked back for medical services for kids in foster care.

"We are determined that kids already identified as being at risk, and those kids who will be identified as at risk in future, don't fall victim to this Government's shortsightedness and penny-pinching.

"There's no way around it, child protection needs to be properly resourced and managed by an experienced public service workforce that is directly accountable to the Minister."

Caseworkers will share experiences from their regions and commit to running a campaign to pressure the NSW Government to properly resource and manage child protection services.