‘Shocking’ number of Qld juveniles lumped into residential care

Nearly 1700 children were housed by the state in a year for a total cost over $700 million, with one child costing nearly $2 million.

The state government has spent over $420,000 per child in just one year of residential care, as advocates label the number of children in the controversial system as shocking.

Nearly 1700 children were housed last year for a total cost of more than $709m, with one child costing the government $1.95m in a single year.

Residential care facilities have been widely criticised as halfway houses for children released from detention, with many staff often abused and attacked.

Numerous juveniles involved in serious incidents have lived in residential care houses, including a 13-year-old charged over a triple-fatal crash at Maryborough in May, a teenager charged over Emma Lovell’s death, and Bowen boy Bailey Pini, 13, who stole a carer’s car keys and died in a crash in 2021.

Youth Advocacy Centre chief executive officer Katherine Hayes said often the most vulnerable and disadvantaged kids in Queensland are placed in these houses.

She said the houses were unpleasant, with basic furniture and locks on cupboards, and often filled with young juvenile offenders on bail.

“The kids are often as young as 12, sometimes younger, and can be in houses with older kids with behavioural difficulties, on bail, or who are not good role models,” Ms Hayes said.

Peakcare executive director Tom Allsop described Queensland’s increased reliance on residential care as shocking, but he said more worrying than that was recent data that revealed 490 children in the system were aged under 12 at the end of last year.

Peakcare executive director Tom Allsop

But he said the financial figure wasn’t a concern given many of the vulnerable children in residential care have complex disability needs who require intensive therapeutic support.

He said this care was expensive but an incredibly valuable service.

“My concern is both with the number in care and the increasing rates of those children coming into residential care,” Mr Allsop said.

“We need to be looking at alternatives that allow young people with complex needs to be brought back into family-like arrangements.”

Act for Kids chief executive Katrina Lines said residential care was intended as a short-term solution with greater investment into evidence-based intervention programs needed.

“Often these children have been exposed to significant trauma before being placed into care, including domestic and family violence and in many cases substance abuse,” she said.

Child Safety Minister Craig Crawford said the experiences of neglect and abuse meant children in the residential care system were more likely to have encountered serious trauma, disability and mental health.

“The costs are variable based on the type of care and reflect the intensity of need and therapeutic supports required,” he said in response to Question on Notice.

“This includes staff rostered to provide care, supervision and the therapeutic supports required to keep these highly vulnerable young people safe and well.”

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the issue was getting worse by the day and the community was paying the price.

“Queenslanders expect children under the care of Child Safety to be adequately cared for, not just placed in these homes and forgotten about by the government,” Mr Crisafulli said.