12 children found in unsafe situations removed from the care of their parents, after 526 urgent safety checks completed

The state government has revealed how many children have been removed from the care of their parents following checks on 526 kids in particularly high-risk settings.

Forty-five vulnerable children who were urgently checked on following a review were found to be living in unsafe situations.

Of those, 12 were removed from the care of their parents, while others underwent family group conferencing, had safety plans initiated or were referred to appropriate services.

Last year, former Police Commissioner Mal Hyde was appointed to conduct a review into the involvement of government agencies with the families of Charlie Nowland, 6, and Makai Wanganeen, 7.

The review identified 526 children in “particularly high-risk settings”, who Premier Peter Malinauskas vowed would be checked on “as soon as possible”.

On Monday, Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard revealed the safety checks had been completed in an operation co-ordinated by SA Police.

Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Emma Brasier.

At the commencement of the operation, in November last year, 300 of the 526 children had open cases with either the Department for Child Protection (DCP) or Department for Human Services (DHS), and 65 were already in care.

As of the end of January, all 526 children had been personally sighted by a DCP or DHS worker during visits made to their homes.

Ms Hildyard said work with a number of the children and their families would continue.

“Child protection is incredibly complex with children and families facing increasingly complex and interconnected issues that have sadly created entrenched and intergenerational trauma,” she said.

“In this exercise, those interconnected issues reflected a pattern represented in child protection systems across jurisdictions. These included poverty, domestic violence and mental ill-health.

“Prior to the Hyde review, a number of investments were made and measures implemented to help keep children and young people safer. Our work continues, as does our steadfast commitment to making improvements to help make a positive difference in children’s lives.”