Ms Meg Ryan:

With regard to the question of children who have settled, begun in a school and then have been relocated to another area, that is definitely still happening. Whether the child or family is being supported by a Department or an NGO, the nature of the accommodation options and the fact that many of the hubs are focused in specific areas where accommodation options are limited means that quite a large volume of children are being moved. I can speak from the caseworker perspective in that when we are moving a family from temporary international protection accommodation services, IPAS, accommodation, such as Citywest Hotel, we engage with the parents about the area to which they are moving. We engage with them about what kind of house or property they will be moving to and the school options available within the area. We then work with the parents to make sure that the child has access and that the correct connections are being made but it most certainly is happening that children are settling and then moving. We are finding issues with our clients, whereby children have uniforms for a school into which they have settled for one or two months and they are now faced with finding school supplies, new books and curriculum activities and a new path to school and uniform. Provision of supports is needed to help people with these integrations and transitions to make them as smooth as possible.