Assessment orders
Assessment orders include:
Court Assessment Order
A Court Assessment Order (CAO) is an order made by the Childrens Court under the Child Protection Act 1999.
- It authorises the Department of Child Safety to take certain actions to investigate and assess whether a child or young person is in need of protection.
- An officer from our department or the Queensland Police Service can apply to the Childrens Court for a Court Assessment Order.
The purpose of a Court Assessment Order is to:
- allow child safety officers or police officers to assess whether a child or young person has been harmed or is at risk of harm
- make sure the child or young person is safe while the investigation and assessment occurs.
A Court Assessment Order can remain in effect for up to four weeks from the day the application is first brought before the court, even if the matter has been adjourned.
- The order will state the date when it ends.
- The Childrens Court can extend the order once for a further period of up to four weeks, if it is in the child or young person's best interests.
- If the Court Assessment Order is extended, the child or young person's parents will be told about it and given a copy of the order.
A parent has the right to seek legal advice or representation at any stage of our involvement with their child.
Temporary Assessment Order
A Temporary Assessment Order (TAO) is an order made by a magistrate under the Child Protection Act 1999.
An officer from our department or the Queensland Police Service can apply to the magistrate for the order.
The purpose of a Temporary Assessment Order is to:
- allow child safety officers or police officers to assess whether the child or young person has been harmed or is at risk of harm
- make sure the child or young person is safe while an investigation and assessment occurs.
A magistrate can override a parent's objections to certain actions being taken by authorising any of the following actions:
- contact with a child or young person by child safety officers or police officers
- medical examination or treatment of the child or young person
- temporary custody of the child or young person during the investigation and assessment period. This generally means that the child or young person will not stay in their home
- child safety officers or police officers to enter and search a place to find a child or young person.
The Temporary Assessment Order can also direct a parent not to have contact with their child or young person, or to only have supervised contact.
- Last updated
- 3 August 2007