The Minister for Child Protection has admitted to Parliament a promised $1 million not-for-profit based financial counselling service will not be delivered.
The embarrassing failure comes nine months after Rachel Sanderson announced the $4.4 million dollar Financial Wellbeing Counselling Service within her Department would be axed on June 30 – sacking 59 frontline financial counsellors.
Last September the Minister promised a $1 million replacement service would be awarded to a not-for-profit organisation, but yesterday in Question Time conceded the tender for such a service was never even advertised.
SACOSS, the SA Financial Counsellors Association and the Public Service Association publicly rejected the Government’s decision to axe the 59 Departmental financial counsellors saying in a statement:
“To expect NGO providers to pick up a program for less than a quarter of the funding is unreasonable and unworkable. We urge the Government to reconsider this ill-considered and short-sighted decision for the sake of children at risk in our community.” - SACOSS, SAFCA and PSA Joint Media Statement, 12 June 2019
The 59 DCP financial counsellors have their last day at work tomorrow.
Instead of the $1 million promised not-for-profit financial counselling service, $700,000 will now be transferred internally from the Department of Child Protection to the Department of Human Services. There is little detail about what that will fund.
Quotes attributable to Shadow Minister for Child Protection Jayne Stinson
Thousands of struggling families, children in care, and foster carers no longer have access to hands-on, expert financial counsellors.
These frontline financial counsellors previously visited the homes of struggling people showing them face-to-face how to apply for benefits, manage home budgets and make the most of limited income.
The Minister has tricked struggling families, young people and carers into thinking there was some sort of replacement for the 59 axed financial counsellors.
She’s now admitted a long-promised $1 million not-for-profit based service was never even advertised because it never would have worked.
This is huge let down for needy families and children and yet another sign this Minister is overwhelmed and out of her depth.