The Queensland government has appointed a former Federal Court judge to investigate the state's child safety system. The Children in Care Census 2024 shows that almost a third of children in care have unmet mental health needs.
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00:00Failures in Queensland's child protection system coming under the microscope.
00:06To not act would be a mistake.
00:09The state government announcing a high-profile inquiry to be led by former Federal Court Judge Paul Anastagio Casey.
00:17This commission inquiry is about making sure we find out why things haven't gone right.
00:21And it's as much about keeping the community safe as it is about giving kids hope.
00:26The 17-month probe will examine how state departments operate, where there have been policy and delivery failures and investigate various models of care.
00:36These are children's lives. That is why we think this action is needed.
00:42This is about children, a generation of children that I believe through the information I've uncovered has been failed.
00:50The government says children entering the system are already vulnerable.
00:54Census data released today reveals of 3,000 children surveyed entering care.
01:0011% had previously been sexually abused, while 46% were physically abused.
01:06More than half had been exposed to domestic violence or neglect.
01:10The residential care sector in particular will be a key focus of the inquiry.
01:16It currently costs the state more than a billion dollars and has seen a rise from 600 kids a decade ago to more than 2,000 today.
01:26While in care, half of those kids will end up suspended from school.
01:30Almost a quarter will attempt suicide.
01:32The child and family sector has been calling on the government to cease the crippling over-reliance that it has on residential care.
01:39And we know that that is driven significantly by the reducing rates of foster carers.
01:43The sector's peak body hoping the inquiry will bring action.
01:47The child protection systems are not suffering through a lack of recommendations.
01:51They're suffering from a lack of government action and commitment to doing the things we know work.
01:55The opposition says it will cooperate with the inquiry.
01:59We all want to see a safer system for our most vulnerable kids.
02:04But with this avalanche of kids coming into care, this commission really should be looking at what we can do to prevent those kids coming into care in the first place.
02:12The government isn't wasting time.
02:14The inquiry is due to begin on July 1.
02:17Democrats determine if it's due to the residents.
02:19But the evidence is due to the population has grown.
02:21So if it becomes a requirement for hundreds of people, you can definitely make a clear decision that you can do it.
02:22And then you'll see them on the system.
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02:25The sound of the district on the system can be found.
02:26The sound of the system is of the system of the system.
02:27And the system can be found taller.
02:28At the location of the system can be found room for the system.
02:29The sound of the system is also known to a court of staff,
02:30the system can be found that the process of the system is set up as a federal system of the system.
02:32And the system also has a third system.
02:33It is, you can also know a state of defense system.
02:34The system can be found in a state of the system at an internal system and on the system.