Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report shows SA having high rate of kids in state care

MORE foster carers left the child protection system than were recruited to help deal with at-risk kids, as a report shows South Australia had the second highest rate of children in state care.

More foster carers left the child protection system than were recruited to help deal with at-risk kids, as a report shows South Australia had the second highest rate of children in state care. Picture: Thinkstock

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MORE foster carers left the child protection system than were recruited to help deal with at-risk kids, as a report shows South Australia had the second highest rate of children in state care.

The latest annual report on child protection by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, out today, shows 9.5 in every 1000 South Australian kids are living in state-run homes, foster families or with extended relatives after being removed from unsafe parents.

NSW was the only mainland state to record a higher rate at 10.3 per cent.

During 2016-17, 130 new foster families signed up to take in at-risk children, but 153 left.

Another 356 relatives or kinship carers volunteered to help children in their extended families, but 181 pulled out.

Neglect was the most common form of harm in South Australian households, present in 41 per cent of proven cases.

Bucking the national trend, there were slightly fewer children in SA who needed child protection services — down about 7000 in 2013-14 to less than 6200 last financial year.