Alcohol or drug abuse by a parent would not necessarily ‘trigger’ the removal of a child from their biological family, a parliamentary committee investigating Families SA has heard.
Department for Education and Child Development chief executive Tony Harrison told the committee while he would not want any parent abusing alcohol or drugs, it was not realistic.
“Illicit drugs or excessive use of alcohol by itself would not be a determinant whether we would leave a child in a biological family,” he said.