Inquiries and Submissions
As the independent peak body, Connecting Foster and Kinship Carers SA participates in inquiries and makes submissions to state and national consultations to help ensure carer voices are represented.
2025
2025: mental health support for family-based carers in South Australia – submissions to the Joint Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan, Metro South Australia (text for accordion, content below)
CFKC made a submission to the State Government’s Joint Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan to advocate for free statewide mental health and wellbeing support for carers, one of the peak body’s six key reforms ahead of the March 2026 State Election.
Read the submission (button to downloadable PDF in CK’s Dropbox)
2025: Systemic review into public education beyond mainstream education – submission to the Department for Education’s Schools and Preschools Division (text for accordion, content below)
CFKC made a submission to the Department for Education’s Schools and Preschools Division’s systemic review into public education beyond mainstream education.
Read the submission (button to downloadable PDF in CK’s Dropbox)
2025: CFKC submission regarding carer payments review – submission to Australian Institute of Family Studies’ Foster, Kinship and Permanent Carers Payment Review (text for accordion, content below)
CFKC made a submission to the Australian Institute of Family Studies’ Foster, Kinship and Permanent Carers Payment Review to improve carer support – particularly the adequacy, consistency and accessibility of payments for foster and kinship carers.
Read the submission (button to downloadable PDF in CK’s Dropbox)
2025: National Foster and Kinship Care Collective Carer Payments and Financial Supports – submission to Australian Institute of Family Studies (text for accordion, content below)
As a member of the National Foster and Kinship Care Collective, CFKC also supported a submission to the Australian Institute of Family Studies’ Foster, Kinship and Permanent Carers Payment Review.
Read the submission (button to downloadable PDF in CK’s Dropbox)
2024
2024: Inquiry into home care for children and young people – submission to SA Parliament Economic and Finance Committee (text for accordion, content below)
CFKC made a submission to the South Australian Parliament Economic and Finance Committees inquiry into home care.
The submission was accepted as submission number 41 and is available from the Committee’s website.
Read the submission (link to www.parliament.sa.gov.au/Committees/Committees-Detail)
The Committee also accepted a submission written by UniSA Justice and Society students, currently on social work placements at Magill Community Outreach Centre and in association with CFKC. Their submission focuses on the impacts of home care on the mental health and wellbeing of carers. It has been accepted as submission number 47 and is also available from the Committee’s website
Read the submission (link to www.parliament.sa.gov.au/Committees/Committees-Detail)
Earlier Submissions
2022: Inquiry into the removal and placement of Aboriginal children and young people in SA – submission to Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People (text for accordion, content below)
CFKC made a submission to the Commissioner’s inquiry into the removal and placement of Aboriginal children and young people in South Australia, based on evidence drawn from our individual and systemic advocacy work.
Read the submission (link to downloadable PDF in CK’s Dropbox)
The Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People has officially launched ‘Holding on to Our Future’, the final report of the inquiry.
Read the Commissioner’s final report (link to downloadable PDF in CK’s Dropbox)
2021-2023: Children & Young People (Safety) (Inquiry into Foster & Kinship Care) Amendment Act 2021 – submission to the Independent Inquiry into Foster and Kinship Carers in SA (text for accordion, content below)
As the peak body, CFKC was significantly involved throughout the independent inquiry into foster and kinship care in South Australia.
CFKC made a submission during the inquiry’s consultation period.
Read the submission (link to downloadable PDF in CK’s Dropbox)
Independent reviewer, Dr Fiona Arney, released the final report for the inquiry into foster and kinship care in December 2022.
Read the inquiry report (link to downloadable PDF in CK’s Dropbox)
CFKC reviewed the final report and provided members with the peak body’s response to the report and a table summarising Dr Arney’s recommendations against the recommendations provided by the peak body.
Read the CFKC response (link to downloadable PDF in CK’s Dropbox)
The then Minister for Child Protection, Katrine Hildyard MP, responded to Dr Arney’s recommendations at a consultation session facilitated by CF&KC-SA in January/February 2023.
Read the Minister’s responses (link to downloadable PDF in CK’s Dropbox)