- New quarterly Child Safety data shows the number of Queensland children in residential care has stabilised for the first time in 10 years.
- There are fewer kids in residential care, and more in kinship and foster care, compared with March quarterly data.
- The number of new carers has increased by 722 under the Crisafulli Government, nearly double the last four years of Labor.
- The second-ever census found 833 vulnerable children weren't in their placements, with 12 considered missing, all now accounted for.
- The Crisafulli Government is implementing the Commission of Inquiry's roadmap to repair Labor's broken child safety system, to make Queensland children safer.
The number of children in residential care has stabilised for the first time in 10 years and the number of children in foster and kinship care has increased, as revealed in the latest child safety department data.
Key findings of the June quarterly child safety data, available after the Crisafulli Government restored Labor's failed Unify system, include:
- 2,804 children in residential care, compared to 2,819 in the March quarter, after the number increased year on year under Labor.
- 80% of children are placed in family-based stable care, up from 79% in March.
- 6,648 children in kinship care, a 2.4% increase on March.
- 4,284 children in foster care, a 0.8% increase on March.
- 13,736 total children in care.
- 15.9 average cases per child safety officer, remaining stable.
The second ever census, conducted one-year after the first one, has revealed 833 vulnerable children had left their placements, with 12 children considered "missing". All 12 of these children have been safely accounted for by the Department.
The Crisafulli Government is focused on moving more children away from residential care into family-based homes, and the number of carer families in Queensland has increased to 6,963, up 2.9 per cent from the previous quarter.
Importantly, the number of additional foster and kinship carers in Queensland between June 2024 - June 26 has grown to 722, almost double the 373 Labor achieved in their last four years.
While demand for out-of-home care continues to grow with 13,736 children in care, the Crisafulli Government is committed to repairing Labor's broken child safety system to put the well-being of children back at the heart of every decision.
The Commission of Inquiry into Labor's broken child safety system uncovered widespread systemic failures, including an explosion in the use of residential care and concerning levels of harm and sexual abuse experienced by children in care.
Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm said the Crisafulli Government was focused on making Queensland safer and reforming Labor's broken child safety system.
"The Commission of Inquiry was a line in the sand into Labor's broken child safety system, that was neglected by five former Labor ministers, with residential care predicted to hit 3,000 children," Minister Camm said.
"The latest data shows the first stabilisation in the number of kids in residential care after it grew year after year under Labor, but there's still plenty of more work to do.
"We are getting more vulnerable children into stable and loving care, with now almost 7,000 carer families across the state, as we continue to attract new carers and crack down on unlicenced providers.
"The former Labor Government's five failed ministers played pass the parcel with child safety, which is why they never conducted a single audit in 10 years into missing and absent children to find out where they were.
"Our second Census into self-placing children found 833 vulnerable children had left their placements, and we will continue to investigate all options on how we can ensure children in care are where they are supposed to be and not in dangerous environments."
