Allegations of abuse on children living in Victorian state care have skyrocketed as the state government awaits recommended changes to the troubled system.
Latest figures show 322 incidents of abuse, including 76 of a sexual nature, were reported within the state child protection and family services system from January to March.
The quarterly data takes the number of abuse reports to 1277 over the year to March, compared with 801 during the same span three years earlier - a rise of almost 60 per cent.
Some 2837 vulnerable children were also waiting for a case worker over the three-month period, including 906 in Victoria’s west, 818 in the south and 613 in the north.
More data, provided by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing in response to budget estimates questions, confirms about 460 full-time equivalent child protection positions were vacant as of May 30.
In response, Child Protection and Family Services Minister Lizzie Blandthorn on Thursday said the government was funding more child protection workers as part of an $895 million investment in the May state budget.
“The exploitation of children in out-of-home care by perpetrators in the community is unacceptable - all allegations are immediately referred to Victoria Police, and the children involved are given every support,” she said in a statement.
“All children involved with child protection are assigned to a team and overseen by a team manager who has overall responsibility for reviewing, monitoring and managing cases within their team, including allocation decisions.”
In December, Ms. Blandthorn became the fifth Victorian minister to be appointed to the portfolio in 14 months.
Mounting problems within the child protection system were highlighted in a series of reports last year, and further exposed in recent hearings at Victoria’s Indigenous truth-telling inquiry, the Yoorrook Justice Commission.
Premier Daniel Andrews flagged plans to bring reforms before parliament to address child protection, youth justice and bail issues in the first half of this year, but legislation is yet to be sighted.
Yoorrook commissioner and deputy chair Sue-Anne Hunter said the child protection reforms were urgently needed, and self-determination must be at their heart.
“Yoorrook has heard extensive evidence of the long-term, systemic failings of Victoria’s child protection system, particularly in terms of the over-representation and treatment of Aboriginal children and families,” she told AAP.
“We need to give Aboriginal people genuine control over the issues that affect our lives.
“We need the power, resources and authority to design a child protection system that enables our children, families and communities to thrive.”
The commission is due to hand a report into systemic injustices within the child protection and criminal justice systems to the government by the end of August.
It will include recommendations for change.
Ms. Hunter said once the report is received, the commission expects the Andrews government to quickly move to begin transforming the child protection system.
Opposition child protection spokesman Matt Bach said the rates of abuse and neglect of children in state care were shameful, and he blamed a “revolving door” of ministers for reform delays.
“Victoria’s most vulnerable children continue to be let down by the Andrews government, who have put vital reforms of this system in the too-hard basket,” he said.
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
13YARN 13 92 76
Aboriginal Counselling Services 0410 539 905
