Minister for families and children Jenny Mikakos is set to announce today an additional $82.5 million over four years to improve safety and staffing in care homes.

This includes around-the-clock staffing in every standard home – and all homes being subject to an Overnight Safety Plan, ensuring additional staff are able to rapidly respond when needed.

Child and Family Services (CAFS) Ballarat mananger of placement and support Melissa Riddisord said the carers are often looking after four kids at the time and acting “exactly like their parent” as they take them to school and run their day.

“As a group, our residential care workers are the least supported and least trained, and often dealing with most high risk and complex kids in difficult situations, so any investment in their education and support is really welcome,” she said.

“Long-term, we’ll have a workforce that can stay and want to stay in residential care, being invested in when they haven’t before.”

Today’s announcement follows the $1.8 million committed by the state government in February this year to continue minimum qualification training through TAFE for care workers entering the workforce in 2018.

As of June, 38 residential care staff at CAFS in Ballarat have completed the training.

Ms Mikakos said the funding would help transform the system from a place of last resort.

“This is part of our commitment to bring services and support to our rural workforce,” she said. “As one of our state’s fastest growing cities, it’s important that residential care homes in Ballarat get the funding and training needed to deliver complex support.”