Covid impact on families reflected in child safety data

Minister for Children and Youth Justice and Minister for Multicultural Affairs The Honourable Leanne Linard

The Queensland Government continues to provide support for our most at-risk children and families, Minister for Children Leanne Linard said today.

Minister for Children Leanne Linard said the latest quarterly data showed the number of investigations commenced by Child Safety in the last year is up by 2.3 per cent.

The number of investigations commenced on time also improved, with an increase of 1.2 percentage points compared to the same period last year.

And the drug, ice, continues to be an issue with 43 percent of children coming into care in the 12 months to 30 June 2021 having a parent who had a record of methamphetamine use – up from 39% a year ago.

“Sadly, this is not an area where anyone can ever rest,” the Minister said.

“That’s why there are 550 more frontline child safety workers than there were in 2015 and why we are opening new facilities as we did recently in Ipswich.

“This means more children deemed at risk are being seen and more families are getting the support they need.”

Ms. Linard said the most urgent cases were prioritised with 94 percent starting on time and more people were stepping up to become foster cares and kinship carers.

“Over the last year, we have seen 1,641 families taking up that role for the first time.”

“We’re so grateful to all of our foster and kinship carers, and because of them, 45.6 percent of these children were able to be placed with kin.

For more data information visit www.csyw.qld.gov.au/child-family/our-performance

/Public Release. View in full here.