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Child and family

• Support for parents and families
• Protecting children We are dedicated to protecting children and young people who have been harmed or are at risk of harm.
  • About child protection Child Safety is dedicated to protecting children and young people who have been harmed, or are at risk of harm.
    • Reporting and referring concerns
    • Child protection legislation
    • Mandatory reporting
    • Children and young people's rights
    • Parents' rights
    • Roles and responsibilities
    • National approach to child protection
  • What is child abuse? A child is any person under 18 years of age. Child abuse is action, behaviours or inaction by an adult towards a child or young person that harms or endangers the child.
    • Signs of child abuse and neglect
    • Why does child abuse happen?
    • Effects of harm
    • Child sexual abuse
  • How to prevent abuse Most people want to love and care for their children, but parents can harm their children when stress, tiredness, lack of skills, information or support combine to make the pressures of caring for them overwhelming.
    • Protecting children from harm
    • Prevention and early intervention
  • Reporting child abuse If you have a reason to suspect a child in Queensland is experiencing harm, or is at risk of experiencing harm, you need to contact Child Safety Services.
    • If you suspect harm
    • What happens when we are contacted?
    • What happens when a report is made?
    • Reporting child abuse in other states
  • Responding to child abuse The department is the lead child protection agency in Queensland and is required by law to ensure that children and young people are safe from abuse, neglect and harm in their homes.
    • Moving a child to a safe place
    • Investigation and assessment The purpose of an investigation and assessment is to: investigate concerns received about harm and risk of harm.
      • Unborn children
      • Assessment orders
    • Care Agreements
    • What you can expect
  • Ongoing intervention Ongoing intervention occurs when we need to provide support and assistance to a child or young person and their family to meet their protection and care needs.
    • Case planning
      • Service referrals
    • Support Service case
    • Intervention with Parental Agreement
    • Child Protection Order
    • Family group meetings
    • Court processes
    • Youth justice
    • Contacts
  • Resources and publications
    • Handbook
• Foster and kinship care Every day, thousands of Queenslanders confirm their commitment to protecting Queenslands vulnerable children by being a foster or kinship carer.
  • Carer training
    • Foster carer training Our department is committed to providing pre-service and in-service training for foster carers to support the development of the skills and knowledge required to provide quality care to children and young people in out-of-home care.
      • Foreword
      • Procedures and guidelines
      • Frequently asked questions
      • Orientation
      • Learning outcomes
      • Pre-service training
      • Water safety for carers
      • Learning journal
      • Standard training
      • Caring for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
      • Advanced training Advanced training is flexible and based on the foster carers specific learning needs.
        • Attachment
        • Whose problem is this?
        • Foster Parent College
        • Independence and connections
        • I'm an individual...
        • Infectious diseases
        • Ready, set, fly! A parent's guide to teaching life skills
        • Loss and grief for children in care
        • Participation
        • Positive and Protective series
        • Reality fostering
        • Strategies for Managing Abuse Related Trauma (SMART)
        • Whose job is this?
      • Recognition of prior learning (RPL)
      • Acknowledgements
  • Rights and responsibilities It is our responsibility to ensure that children and young people in the child protection system are cared for in a safe and accountable way. Find out what this involves.
    • Standards of care
    • Statement of commitment
    • Charter of rights for a child in care
    • United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders We are committed to working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to keep Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people safe within their own families and communities wherever possible. Find out how we do this.
    • Child Placement Principle
    • Recognised Entities
  • Regulation of care When ongoing intervention with a child or young person and their family involves placing the child or young person away from their parents care, our department is required to ensure that the child is assured a safe and acceptable standard of care.
    • Concerns about the standards of care
    • Community Visitors and Child Advocates
  • Contacts Access contact information for the Foster and Kinship Carer Support Line, community foster care agencies, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander foster care agencies, and peak bodies and advocacy groups.
    • Community foster care agency contacts Foster care community agencies contact information
      • Brisbane Region
      • Central Queensland Region
      • Far North Queensland Region
      • North Coast Region
      • North Queensland Region
      • South East Region
      • South West Region
    • Indigenous foster care agency contacts
    • Peak body and advocacy group contacts
  • Resources and publications Access publications including fact sheets, brochures, forms, guides, policies and procedures relating to foster and kinship care.
    • Information for existing carers
    • Information for prospective carers
    • Recruitment of foster carers
    • Children and Young People's Participation Strategy
• Adoption
  • Resources and publications
• Child and family reform The Queensland Government has outlined its reform agenda for supporting Queensland families and keeping children safe.
  • Sharing responsibility for children's safety and wellbeing
  • Supporting families earlier
  • Working better with families in contact with the child protection system
  • Meeting the needs and requirements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families will have access to culturally appropriate Indigenous-specific and mainstream services and care.
    • Empowering Families Innovation Fund
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service Reform Project
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practice reforms
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing services
    • Indigenous career progression - cadetships and scholarships
    • Review of the Recognised Entity program
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child protection sector and service development
  • Improving out-of-home care and post-care for children and young people
  • Delivering quality services to children and families through a capable, motivated workforce and client-focused organisations
  • Building an accountable, transparent and cost-effective system
  • Child Safety legislation reform
  • History of child protection legislation reforms
• Queensland Government Response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
• Our performance Find out about the performance of the Queensland child protection system.
  • Summary statistics Child protection data summary statistics.
    • Child protection orders
    • Protective orders
  • Family Support and Child Protection System Framework
  • Family Support Services
  • Intake phase The intake phase is the initial decision making point where the department determines its response to reports of suspected harm, or risk of harm, to a child or unborn child who may be at risk of harm after he or she is born.
    • Child concern reports
    • Notifications
  • Investigation and assessment phase Statistical data, analysis and supporting information regarding the investigation and assessment phase of the Queensland child protection system.
    • Assessment orders
    • Investigation and assessment
    • Substantiations
  • Ongoing intervention phase Ongoing intervention by the department is only required when it is determined that a child is in need of protection. When ongoing intervention is required, a case plan is developed in conjunction with the child or young person and their family.
    • Intervention with parental agreement
    • Short-term child protection orders
    • Living away from home
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle
    • Carer families
  • Ongoing intervention phase (Permanency planning) When children cannot be safely reunified with their families, other permanency arrangements are considered. This includes seeking a long-term child protection order and providing the child with a stable, out-of-home care environment until they turn 18 years.
    • Long-term child protection orders
    • Exiting out-of-home care
  • Improved safety The departments role to ensure the childs safety is improved.
    • Re-entry
    • Matters of concern
    • Standard of care reviews and harm reports
  • High quality services and improved wellbeing It is the departments role to ensure high quality services are delivered to children and young people that are meaningful to their protection needs and wellbeing.
    • Case plans
    • Child health passports
    • Stability and permanency of placements
    • Transition to independence
    • Placement with siblings
    • Cultural support plan
  • Representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
    • Our Way Strategy and Action Plan
  • Family and household characteristics
  • Demographics
  • System and Practice Reviews - Child deaths
  • Regional data In August 2009 new Department of Communities regions came into effect. Annual data for 2009-10 onwards is reported against these new regions.
    • Brisbane region
    • Central Queensland region
    • Far North Queensland region
    • North Coast region
    • North Queensland region
    • South East region
    • South West region
  • Adoptions
  • Glossary of terms
  • Table notes
  • Contacts
  • Resources and publications
    • Child protection partnerships reports
• Child Safety Practice Manual
• Child and family resources Access historical publications around child and family issues.
  • Protecting children: an inquiry into abuse of children in foster care
  • Managing child safety information
  • Assessment of the OneSchool Referral Process

Youth justice

• Youth justice reform
• Transition 2 Success program
• Youth Justice First Nations Action Board
• Youth Detention Review implementation The Independent Review into Youth Detention took place in 2016. The Review examined the practices, policies and programs of Queenslands youth detention centres, and made 83 recommendations to the Queensland Government.
  • About the review Learn about the background to the Independent Review into Youth Detention, and the governments response to review recommendations.
    • Independent review of youth detention
    • Queensland Government response to the recommendations
    • Investing in the safety, wellbeing and rehabilitation of young people
  • Working together on the review By working together on Youth Detention Review recommendations, we will support better futures for young people.
    • Agencies and community organisations
    • Role of the Youth Justice First Nations Action Board
    • Working together to make a difference
  • Implementing the review recommendations Youth Detention Review recommendations have been organised into work programs for implementation. Find out how recommendations will be addressed.
    • Cultural services and support recommendations
    • Program delivery and evaluation recommendations
    • Positive behaviour management and incident prevention recommendations
    • Mental health and therapeutic support recommendations
    • Incident footage and investigation recommendations
    • Oversight recommendations
    • Justice reinvestment recommendations
    • Transfer of 17-year olds recommendations
    • Queensland Corrective Services recommendations
  • Progress on implementation
• Inclusion of 17-year-olds in the youth justice system
• Social Benefit Bond – reoffending

Violence prevention

• Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012
• Domestic and family violence prevention strategy 2016-26
• Domestic and family violence reform
• Violence against women prevention plan 2016-22

Contact us

• Department contacts
  • Child and family contacts Child and family contacts.
    • Child safety service centres Contact details of child safety service centres.
      • Moreton region
      • Central Queensland region
      • Northern Queensland region
      • South East region
      • South West region
      • Regional Intake Services
    • Child Safety regional offices
• Compliments and complaints
  • Public Interest Disclosure
• Social media
• How you can get involved

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