Foster carers have shared frustrations about a gaping hole in their insurance cover which leaves them at the whim of the directorate which places their children.
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As new carers learned to deal with shaved back regular subsidies since July 1, one decade-long parent of foster children said the concern about being left out of pocket by property damage or personal injury caused by their children was unchanged.
Annalisa O'Sullivan, from Forrest, said there had been no extension to the ACT government's insurance cover for foster carers – which excludes damage caused by an "act of malice" – despite the efforts of her and four other mothers since 2012.
The foster mother of two children, who had another two separate foster children turn 18 in the last two years, said the Community Services Directorate regularly failed to provide full reimbursement for damage caused by misbehaving children.
"A child could burn down our $500,000 house, and [the directorate] could give us $50,000," she said. "This is ridiculous."
In practice she said she was out of pocket about $2000 across her 20 claims in 10 years, with an inefficient appeals system little help.
"The important reason to have this insurance is so that when you're parenting someone who has really out-there behaviours you don't have to worry about the personal cost, you can focus on the needs of the child," she said.
A directorate spokesman said foster and kinship carers were covered by a public liability insurance policy taken out by the government, and foster care agencies were also required to have their own liability insurance policy.
The directorate considered claims on a case-by-case basis where these insurance policies did not cover a situation, he said. Community Services has paid out about $56,000 for such claims in the five years to September.
Ms O'Sulivan said there was widespread worry among foster carers about the decision to cut the rate of regular subsidies, to take effect in four years for those caring for a child before July 1. This would leave her $150 per fortnight worse off for her now six-year-old child.
A directorate spokesman said the new funding model, part of the A Step Up For Our Kids program, would allow for more flexible payments that could be adapted to a child's changing needs.
Fears about the gaps in the ACT government's insurance cover were first sparked when a foster child with behavioural problems burned down his carer's caravan.
The ACT's insurer would not cover the damage because it was caused by an act of malice, and the directorate agreed to pay what it said was a "fair and reasonable amount agreed to by the carer". Ms O'Sullivan said the caravan cost $50,000 and the carer received about $20,000.
