The number of Australian children in out-of-home care has
increased by 51% since 2002, according to a report released today
by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report, Child Protection Australia 2006-07, showed
that nationally, there were 18,880 children in out-of-home care in
2002, increasing to 28,441 children in 2007.
Similarly, the number of children on care and protection orders
increased significantly, rising by 43% from 20,557 to 29,406 over
the same period.
The majority of children in care were either in foster care
(50%) or living with relatives (44%), with only 4% of children in
residential care in 2007.
Of all child protection notifications received in 2006-07,
58,563 were substantiated cases - cases where there was reasonable
cause to believe that harm had occurred or would occur. This was an
increase from the previous year, when there were 55,921
substantiated cases.
Cynthia Kim, Head of the AIHW's Children, Youth and Families
Unit, said, 'possible reasons for these increases include a rise in
the number of children requiring protection, a greater community
awareness of child abuse and neglect issues and changes in child
protection policies and practices'.
'The cumulative effect of children remaining on care and
protection orders or in out-of-home care for longer periods may
also be a contributing factor.'
'Studies also indicate that children enter care for increasingly
complex family situations associated with a range of factors
including low income, parental substance abuse, mental health
issues and family violence', she said.
Emotional abuse was the most common reason for substantiation in
half of the jurisdictions. In the other jurisdictions, neglect or
physical abuse was the most common reason.
Although the quality of data on Indigenous status varies between
states and territories, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
children were clearly over-represented in the child protection
system. These children were more than five times as likely as other
children to be the subject of a substantiation, and over seven
times as likely to be on a care and protection order.
Wednesday 23 January 2008
Further information: Ms Cynthia Kim, tel. 02
6244 1213, mob. 0417 711 607
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for the availability of Child Protection
Australia 2006-07.