The number of Australian children in out-of-home care has risen
steadily over the past decade according to a report released today
by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Child Protection Australia 2004-05 shows that
nationally, the number of children in out-of-home care rose each
year from 1996 to 2005, and that the rate of Indigenous children in
out-of-home care was over six times the rate of other children.
Report author, Meredith Bryant from the AIHW's Children, Youth
and Families Unit, said the number of all children in care has
increased 70% since 1996 when there were 13,979 children in
out-of-home care, to 23,695 children in care in 2005. Similarly,
the number of children on orders has increased significantly,
rising 60% from 15,718 in 1997 to 25,065 in 2005.
'The increase is due, in part, to a greater awareness of child
abuse and neglect, but also to the cumulative effect of children
who enter the system at a young age and remain on care and
protection orders for longer periods,' she said.
Children are entering care for increasingly complex factors
associated with parental substance abuse, mental health and family
violence.
The majority of children in care were either in foster care
(54%) or living with relatives (40%) with only 4% of children in
residential care as at 30 June 2005.
Over the last six years the number of child protection
notifications in Australia more than doubled from 107,134 in
1999-00 to 252,831 in 2004-05.
From 2003-04 to 2004-05 the number of notifications increased in
all jurisdictions.
Ms Bryant said some of this increase in notifications reflects
changes in child protection policies and practices in the
jurisdictions.
'However, it is also an indication of increased public awareness
of child protection concerns and more willingness to report
problems,' she said.
Although the quality of the data on Indigenous status varies
between states and territories, Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander children were clearly over-represented in the child
protection system.
18 January 2006
Further information: Ms Meredith Bryant, AIHW,
tel. 02 6244 1112, or 0407 915 851
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of the Child Protection
Australia 2004-05 report.