Child Safety: Turning the Corner

Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle today said she was encouraged by a 24 per cent drop in the number of cases of confirmed harm or risk of harm to Queensland children.

“There are still too many instances where children are harmed. In fact one case is one too many.

“But this significant drop in substantiated notifications shows we may be turning the corner with the protection of our vulnerable children.

“Since the Department was created the budget has more than doubled to more than half a billion dollars. Child safety officers now have more incisive decision-making tools. They have targeted resources at the families where children are most at risk. These changes may have contributed to the downward trend.

“There were 13,184 substantiated notifications in 2005-06 down from 17,307 in 2004-05.

“These are cases where we’ve been notified of possible abuse or neglect, child safety officers have investigated and confirmed the harm or risk of harm.

“While I welcome the reduction the fact that there were more than 13,000 confirmed notifications shows there are too many parents either harming their children or there is a risk they will harm their children.

“When the situation is serious enough children are placed in care for their protection and the hard fact is that 6,654 children were in out-of-home care as at 30 June 2006.

“That number is too huge. Too many parents are failing to provide a home where children can feel safe and loved. Those parents need to face up to their responsibilities,” Ms Boyle said. “After all our children only get one chance at childhood.”

“These numbers bear out the importance of our kinship and foster carers. I am pleased to say that the number of approved carer families jumped 7% to 2,909 as at 30 June 2006. This is a pleasing trend but with Christmas approaching we need more foster carers and so I appeal to anyone who thinks they can help to contact 1300 550 877.

“In other good news the Report confirms that the 2005-06 operating budget increased by 45 per cent from 2004-05.

“Staff numbers have also increased by more than 75 per cent, since the department was created, to around 2170 and we are actively recruiting even more,” Ms Boyle said.

The figures are included in the Department of Child Safety 2005-06 Annual Report. Some of the statistics include:

Notifications of harm or risk of harm

2005-06   2004-05   Change

33,612     40,829*    18% reduction

*From March 2005 reports where the Department responded with advice were no longer recorded as notifications but instead were recorded as child concern reports. Historically these comprise about 15% of notifications.

Substantiated Notifications of harm or risk of harm

2005-06   2004-05   Change

13,184     17,307     24% reduction

Individual Children subject to Substantiated Notifications

2005-06   2004-05   Change

10,177     12,985     22% reduction

Substantiated Notifications for Children in out-of-home care*

2005-06   2004-05   Change

281         509          45% reduction

*These figures are reported according to the financial year in which the notification and substantiation occurred and not necessarily when the actual harm or risk of harm took place. Investigation of these figures has indicated that historical cases have not contributed significantly to figures for 2005-06.

Resubstantiation

2004-05   2003-04   Change

21%        26%         5% reduction

Resubstantiations are instances where a notification against a child has been substantiated and then a further notification is substantiated within 12 months. While the department is expected to intervene to keep a child safe, there are a number of factors, such as illness, unemployment or a new family member, that are outside the control of the department, and which may increase the likelihood of abuse or risk of abuse. Also, once intervention has occurred to protect a child, the child may make disclosures of past abuse that may also be recorded as resubstantiations.

Children in out-of-home care

30 June 2006     30 June 2005

6,654*              N/A

*This is the first time the department has included children in out-of-home placements who are not funded by the department. For instance this includes children staying with kinship carers such as grandparents or uncles and aunts.

Approved carer families

30 June 2006     30 June 2005    Change

2,909               2,710               7% increase

Ends

Media contact: 3224 7477

14 November 2006