The state government appointed Dr Fiona Arney as the independent person to lead the Independent Inquiry into Foster and Kinship Care.
Dr Arney has significant national and international experience in child protection spanning two decades and has served on multiple royal commissions and independent oversight bodies.
The Independent Inquiry into Foster and Kinship Care in South Australia has now been completed.
In accordance with Section 169A.3 of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017, Dr Arney is now preparing a report of the inquiry, a copy of which will be provided to the Minister for Child Protection. It is anticipated the report will be provided to the Minister in September 2022.
Terms of reference
The scope of this inquiry was determined under section 169A of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017, and includes, but isn’t limited to:
- Existing complaint mechanisms as they relate to foster care and kinship care.
- Existing consultation processes with foster and kinship carers.
- Information sharing and the sharing of documentation with foster and kinship carers.
- Ensuring that there is sound partnership with foster and kinship carers and that the rights of children in foster and kinship care are respected, addressed and realised.
- Recommendations to improve foster and kinship care in South Australia.
The full terms of reference are available here.
Full terms of reference (60.1 KB PDF)
Full terms of reference (16.4 KB DOCX)
Queries about the Inquiry can be directed to carer.inquiry@sa.gov.au.
