PRIVATE AGENCIES AS PUBLIC AGENTS - DEVELOPMENTS IN CHILD-WELFARE IN NEW-SOUTH-WALES

The number of children in the care of New South Wales government insti tutions has been decreasing. The decline has been sharper for those ch ildren in state institutions compared with those children in state-org anized foster care. Overall, government expenditure on substitute care has also fallen, although cash transfers to private child welfare age ncies for the provision of alternative substitute care have increased markedly. Plans to transfer remaining state substitute-care services t o the private sector are accompanied by introduction of greater measur es of control. Privatization and tighter regulation of substitute-care services reflect wider trends in the Australian welfare state.