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Media handout

MEDIA INFORMATION: 31 DECEMBER 2023 CHILD AND FAMILY PERFORMANCE STATISTICS

A media handout for December 2023 data is available for download.

COVID-19 IMPACT

  • Data for 31 December 2023 data includes impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic (from April 2020 onward).
  • Demand for family support and child protection services increased throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

FAMILY SUPPORT

  • Queensland’s family support services continue to provide families with the necessary supports and referrals to keep children safe at home.
  • Family and Child Connect received 28,797 enquiries in the year ending 31 December 2023, down from 29,627 compared to the same period last year.
  • Intensive Family Support services provided 4,272 families with support to address needs and assist families to build their capacity to care for and protect their children in the year ending 31 December 2023, down from 4,472 compared to the same period last year.
  • 4,317 families received support from a Family Wellbeing Service in the year ending 31 December 2023, improving the wellbeing and safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, children, and young people. This is a 2 per cent increase compared to the same period last year (4,231 families).

CHILD PROTECTION

  • Demand for child protection services continues to grow with 36,000 notifications requiring investigation in the year ending 31 December 2023, a 9.1 per cent increase compared to the same period last year (32,994).
  • Child Safety commenced 28,203 investigations in the year ending 31 December 2023. This included 4,643 notifications with a 24-hour priority, 7.4 per cent more than this time last year.
  • We continue to prioritise our most urgent cases. For investigations with a 24-hour priority – 92.6 per cent were commenced on time.
  • The number of investigations finalised by Child Safety in the last year is up by 8.8 per cent (29,772 in total). This is 2,404 more investigations finalised by Child Safety when compared to the same period last year.
  • The number of children in care increased to 11,679 as at 31 December 2023. This is a 1.3 per cent increase (152 children) compared to the same period last year.
  • 49.1 per cent of all children in care are placed with kin. This is an increase compared to last year (47.2 per cent) and an increase from 10 years ago (39.6 per cent).
  • 60.0 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people were placed with kin, other Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander carers or Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander residential care services, an increase of 1.3 percentage points since this time last year.
  • When a family is unable to care for their children safely at home, Queenslanders are continuing to step up to become foster and kinship carers. Over the last year 1,695 families stepped up to be carers for the first time. In total there were 6,155 carer families as at 31 December 2023, up from 6,042 a year ago.
  • We are always looking for more foster carers. Anyone interested in becoming a foster carer should call the Foster Care Recruitment Line on 1300 550 877, visit www.fcq.com.au or www.qld.gov.au/community/caring-child/foster-kinship-care/ or contact one of Queensland's many foster care support agencies directly.
  • Caseloads for child safety officers are 15.5 cases per full-time equivalent child safety officer.