03-07-2025
Babies among children in Queensland's residential care system as major child protection inquiry begins
Queensland's child safety minister has declared she wants fewer kids in the residential care system and says she has even visited facilities looking after babies.
A new commission of inquiry probing Queensland's child protection system kicked off its work this week, with hearings set to commence soon.
In an interview with the ABC, Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm said she expected Queenslanders will be shocked by the stories that emerge from the inquiry.
"I have families and young people that have contacted me directly, children who have reached out to the child family commissioner sharing those stories," she said.
"[I've heard] stories of sexual abuse and sexual assault that exist within the residential care system.
"There's harrowing cases — cases of children who have attempted suicide in care because of their mental health, because they're not getting the support that they need."
Ms Camm said she wanted children and young people who were currently or had previously been in the system to tell their stories to the inquiry.
She also promised protections for people who wanted to remain anonymous, and anticipates the commission will share de-identified stories.
"We also know that many across the [child safety] department are doing an incredible job. But those that may not have, I certainly want to uncover that as well.
"And I want there to be accountability at the end of this commission for anyone who may not have been doing the things that they needed to be doing to protect children."
In December 2015, there were 650 Queensland kids in residential care — but by December last year, that figure climbed to 2,212.
Ms Camm said she wanted that number to fall and declared the government's priority was for kids to be placed in family-based care, such as kinship and foster care.
"Residential care was designed as a last resort for young adolescent children, so teenagers who couldn't be placed in foster and kinship care," she said.
"It was designed for a small period of time as a crisis response.
The minister said she had visited residential care facilities that were looking after babies, amid an increase in children under 12 in the system.
She said the children received 24/7 support from carers.
"That is not the same as being in family-based care.
"And we don't truly know the damage that that can do to a young child, particularly in their development years and through the period where they need to attach and feel love and feel secure in a family."
The commission of inquiry, which is headed up by Paul Anastassiou KC, is due to hand down its final report in November next year.
Ms Camm defended the length of the inquiry, saying the system was "so big", and also noted the commission would deliver interim reports.
She would not say if the government would accept all the recommendations from the inquiry.
"[The] government will consider all of those recommendations. We will take some time to consider those," Ms Camm said.
Prior to the election, the government promised to introduce a "dual carer" model by 2030, ensuring all residential care facilities always have two carers.
Ms Camm said she was open to legislating the requirement, after the government put $10.9 million towards the initiative in the most recent budget.
She also said she remained committed to a new independent complaints process for the system and is confident it will be set up before the next election.
"We do need a level of independence to ensure that both carers but also children and families feel heard."
Ms Camm said the commission of inquiry had been tasked to recommend a way to establish a complaints process.
