New deal for disabled young
The Commonwealth has signed bilateral agreements with South Australia, Queensland and Victoria to help young people with a disability move out of residential aged care facilities and into specialist care.
The Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Mal Brough MP, welcomed the commitment by the States and said he looked forward to working with them to see the plan become a reality.
“For too long, the only long-term residential care available to young people with a disability has been in aged care facilities,” Mr Brough said. “This announcement means an improvement in the choices available.”
The agreements with the States follow on from a decision at the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in February this year, to jointly fund and develop a $244 million program over the next five years to reduce the number of younger people with a disability in residential aged care.