Psychiatrist brought in to stop runaway children fleeing state care

Authorities are working to understand why a group of traumatised children in state-care regularly flee and often finding themselves in dangerous situations.

• More children fleeing state care, breaching curfew

Authorities are monitoring a group of children living in state care who are running away as often as once a week and are at risk of serious harm.

Senior social workers have a list of up to 100 of the state’s “most troubled” children who repeatedly flee state-run homes, including some who end up in emergency departments or are exposed to drugs or dangerous behaviour.

The Child Protection Department has appointed a leading psychiatrist to better understand why they flee and help them work through their traumatic experiences.

Dr Prue McEvoy is the department’s first lead psychiatric director and is understood to be the only psychiatrist in the country based in a government child protection agency.

There are about 420 children living in state-run homes.

Latest data show 249 children were reported missing in 2017-18, up from 162 in 2014-15.

Department southern region director Sue Macdonald said staff were “most worried” about a core group of fewer than 100 children with “the most complex trauma” who run away as often as once a week.

Their trauma can include sexual assault, physical abuse or extreme neglect.

The Advertiser is aware of one 12-year-old girl who has been repeatedly running away from a state-run home.

The girl often tries to see her parents but also finds herself in risky situations and has been admitted to hospital.

Dr McEvoy said these children were not “just being naughty” but were responding to their traumatic backgrounds.

She said punishment “would be of no assistance at all because of their trauma history … they’ve experienced every sort of punishment we would probably not have even considered”.