Child abuse alarm

By Shaun Inguanzo
CHILD abuse and family breakdown are rapidly rising in Noble Park, according to latest foster care figures that show a significant increase in carer demand.
The alarming figues have prompted local foster care organisation Oz Child to call for more foster carers.
Oz Child this week revealed the figures showing Greater Dandenong’s rise from under 6 per cent of the group’s foster care referrals in December to 25 per cent in March.
Its figures highlighted Noble Park as the suburb in Greater Dandenong with the most demand.
Oz Child communications coordinator Angela Whitehead said the figures were a concern for Noble Park and Greater Dandenong because of the sensitive nature of referrals.
“From the information, we can see that most or all of the need is due to involvement with child protection,” she said.
“So lots of families in Greater Dandenong seem to be experiencing crisis, or family breakdown. In a lot of circumstances it is an emergency, the children are experiencing abuse.”
Ms Whitehead said that previously the City of Frankston was the region’s area of highest demand, but it had since dropped significantly, from 40 per cent of Oz Child’s referrals in December 2005, to 26 per cent in March.
Greater Dandenong is tipped to take over the top spot from Frankston over the coming months, creating an urgent demand for foster carers.
“There are 60 children on the ‘needs register’ (in Greater Dandenong) which means 60 children are awaiting a foster care placement with Oz Child alone,” Ms Whitehead said.
“Noble Park and the City of Greater Dandenong also have the highest need for respite care in the southern region.”
As a result of the demand, Ms Whitehead said Oz Child was urgently calling for new foster carers.
Dandenong North residents and foster carers Tarryn Cottren and Ian Galbraith said organisation was the key to foster caring.
“Ian and I are just a regular couple who both work full-time, so it can get hectic but you just have to be organised,” Ms Cottren said.
She said foster carers could nominate the age of the child and that foster care was about preparing kids to be sent home to their parents.
Ms Whitehead said Oz Child covered the costs of caring for the child.
For more information on becoming a foster carer, contact Oz Child on 9791 5423.