The number of vulnerable children in “substandard” residential care is rising in Australia’s worst-hit state, causing a $500 million (US$318.4 million) budget blowout.
A report has called for the Queensland government to improve conditions after revealing a major jump in the number of children in out-of-home care.
More than 2000 children live in residential care in Queensland, including 1200 younger than 14 and 50 younger than five.
The number has grown by 19 percent since the government began a review of the system a year ago, a Queensland Family and Child Commission report revealed.
Queensland has the most children in residential care of any state or territory and four times the number in care in Victoria, which had about 450 in 2023.
Queensland’s total was more than double NSW’s 904 as of June 2024.
South Australia had 695 children in care in October 2024 and Western Australia 593 in care in 2023/24.
The Northern Territory has 886 children living in out-of-home care with three percent in residential sites.
Queensland’s Family and Child Commissioner said the review had done nothing to improve the situation for vulnerable children.
“If we are serious about effecting meaningful change for these young Queenslanders we need to stop putting them in houses we wouldn’t choose for our own children,” Commissioner Luke Twyford said.
The former Labor government launched the residential care system review in December 2023 amid community concerns the state over-relied on out-of-home care.
Following review feedback, a road map was created to implement 31 recommendations.
Twyford said action had been too slow in the past 12 months and the impact on children in residential care had been ignored.
None of the children in care the commission spoke to felt the system’s quality or safety had changed in the past year, he said.
“Young people are excluded from the reforms and continue to live in substandard homes,” the report said.
One child the commission spoke to said: “Treat us like humans, not like prisoners.”
Twyford called on the Liberal National (LNP) government to implement recommendations with more urgency after ending Labor’s nine-year reign at the Oct. 26 state election.
Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm accused the former Labor government of leaving a road map without funding to progress change.
The LNP government claims the state’s residential care system budget will blow out by $500 million.
Queensland will spend more than $1 billion on residential care this financial year with an average cost per child per night of $1360 (US$865.9), Camm said.
“The current trajectory of residential care costings has left a budget black hole to the tune of $500 million and Queensland Labor has been negligent in their fiscal responsibility and as the guardian of these children,” she told parliament.
The government will implement a “Safer Children, Safer Communities” policy to reform residential care by increasing extracurricular activity and education support allowances and staffing.
A new foster care program for children with complex needs and disabilities will be trialled instead of placing them in residential care.
