Parents living in fear rental crisis will see their kids taken away

Queensland children forced into homelessness by the state’s housing crisis are being taken from their parents and becoming wards of the state.

Queensland’s housing crisis is seeing children become wards of the state because their parents can’t find anywhere to live.

Child advocates are warning that authorities have no choice but to remove kids who are sleeping in cars or couch surfing while others already removed are being blocked from returning to their parents because they can’t find appropriate accommodation.

PeakCare CEO Lindsay Wegener said his organisation had raised the issue with the state government but had not heard back.

“Sadly, if families are living in cars then their children are being neglected, even though this may be through no fault of their parents or a lack of love,” he said.

Lindsay Wegener executive director of PeakCare. Picture: Adam Armstrong

Mr Wegener said reunifications – that is where children who had been removed from the family’s care are able to return home once the situation is stable – were being stymied by the fact people were unable to find appropriate housing.

Of greatest concern were the families who may be reluctant to seek help for fear of their children being removed from their care, Mr Wegener said.

“We are very concerned because these kids can become hidden from view,” he said.

“I think the department (of child safety) sees it as outside of their control, but this is why we need a whole of government response and I don’t get a good enough sense that that is happening

The state government was forced to convene a housing summit off the back of The Courier-Mail’s Hitting Home campaign. The campaign prompted the government to double its Housing Investment Fund to $2bn as well as make planning changes allowing for granny flats to be rented on the private market.

QCOSS chief executive Aimee McVeigh said homelessness was one of the factors associated with children coming into care. Picture: David Clark

QCOSS CEO Aimee McVeigh said that community services were reporting that families were living in fear that housing instability and homelessness would put them at risk of having their children removed.

“Homelessness has been raised as one of the factors associated with children coming into care or potentially coming into care,” she said.

“It has also been reported as a potential obstacle to children in care being reunified with their families, with organisations working hard to keep families together.”

More than 32000 notifications made to the Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs needed investigating in the year ending 30 June 2022 – a 13.3 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

The number of children in care increased to 11,323 as of 30 June 2022, which equates to 258 more children in care compared to the same period last year.

Earlier this year a scathing report from the state’s Auditor General, Brendan Worrall, found the government was failing to build enough social homes to keep up with the surging demand.

Micah Projects CEO Karyn Walsh said there were hundreds of children under the age of five who are experiencing homelessness.

“Then at the same time we are saying the early years are the most important years,” she said.

“We have to look at how social and economic policy can work together.”

Micah Projects CEO Karyn Walsh.

Ms Walsh said successive governments had neglected to cater for families in the social housing space, with the emphasis being on one and two-bedroom units.

“It is a very real fear that people have, that if they can’t find appropriate housing their kids will be taken away,” she said.

The dire situation regarding affordable housing is also forcing children in state-run residential facilities into homelessness, Mr Wegener said.

“The government is about to extend financial and other supports to children in care until they turn 21 but if it is simply not possible for children in residential care to find somewhere suitable and affordable to live once they turn 18, this very laudable policy will have limited benefits for many,” he said.

Common Ground Queensland CEO Sue Pope said without a doubt the first step to families being able to get back on a path where they could flourish and thrive was safe and affordable housing.

The state government was approached for comment but did not respond by deadline.

Originally published as Parents living in fear rental crisis will see their kids taken away