Overview

In Australia, statutory child protection is the responsibility of state and territory governments. Departments responsible for child protection provide assistance to vulnerable children who are suspected of being abused, neglected or harmed, or whose parents are unable to provide adequate care or protection.

More reports and statistics on child protection can be found under Adoptions and Children & youth.

Latest findings

92% of children in out-of-home care reported that they felt safe and settled in their current placement 1 in 35 children received child protection services Children from Very remote areas are 4 times as likely as those from Major cities to be the subject of a substantiation 31,800 children have been in out-of-home care for 2 years or more 72% of children who received child protection services were repeat clients Around two-thirds (66%) of children felt that they got to have a say in what happened to them, and felt listened to 72% of children felt satisfied with the type of contact they had with family members they did not live with 64% of older children (aged 15–17) felt they were getting enough help to make decisions about their future

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Highlights

1 in 33children received child protection services (investigation, care and protection order and /or were in out-of-home care) in 2015–16
73%of children who received child protection services were repeat clients
1 in 3children who were the subject of a substantiation were from the lowest socioeconomic areas
Halfof children in relative/kinship placements (48%) were living with their grandparents
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderchildren were 7 times as likely as non-Indigenous children to have received child protection services
Emotional abusewas the most common type of abuse substantiated (45%)
94%of children in out-of-home care were in home-based care with a foster or relative/kinship carer
Childrenfrom Very remote areas were 4 times as likely as those from Major cities to be the subject of a substantiation