On 17 July 24 the Board of GPV/KCV met with Minister for Children Lizzie Blandthorn and Minister for Transport Infrastructure Danny Pearson.

The discussion covered a broad range of topics related to the joys and pressures of raising children up until age 11. This age range fits with the Minister’s priority to do as much as she can towards early years support for families. Specific issues discussed included: respite for kinship carers, inclusion of grandparents as support to parents to prevent children being removed, an increased subsidy to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for children on a health care card (this is a federal issue which he Minister has raised at a national level), and access to early childhood kindergarten.

Board members thanked the Ministers for the generous amount of time they spent talking through some very critical issues.