Exiting out-of-home care data
Graphs
Number of children exiting departmentally funded out-of-home care by Indigenous status, Queensland, 2003-04 to 2007-08.
| Year | Indigenous | Non-Indigenous | All children |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04 | 171 | 768 | 939 |
| 2004-05 | 234 | 974 | 1208 |
| 2005-06 | 357 | 1089 | 1446 |
| 2006-07 | 454 | 1077 | 1531 |
| 2007-08 | 434 | 1110 | 1544 |
Number of children exiting departmentally funded out-of-home care during 2007-08 by length of time in out-of-home care, Queensland.
| Year | 1 to 6 months | 6 to 12 months | 1 to 2 years | 2 to 5 years | 5 years or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-08 | 616 | 225 | 250 | 266 | 187 |
Tables
- Children exiting out-of-home care funded by Child Safety Services care by Indigenous status, 2003-04 to 2007-08
- Children exiting out-of-home care funded by Child Safety Services during 2007-08, by length of time in out-of-home care and number of different placements
- Children exiting out-of-home care funded by Child Safety Services during 2006-07, by length of time in out-of-home care and number of different placements
- Children exiting out-of-home care funded by Child Safety Services during 2005-06, by length of time in out-of-home care and number of different placements
- Children exiting out-of-home care funded by Child Safety Services during 2004-05 by length of time in out-of-home care and number of different placements
- Children exiting out-of-home care funded by Child Safety Services during 2003-04 by length of time in out-of-home care and number of different placements
What does exiting out-of-home care mean?
When a child is placed in out-of-home care for protective reasons, our department attempts to reunify the child and their family, where this is in the best interests of the child.
Family reunification occurs when our department has determined that the child's protection needs are now able to be met at home, and the child leaves their out-of-home care placement.
A young person will also leave out-of-home care and transition to independent living when they turn 18 years old.
Why this topic is important
Young people leaving care are often confronted by issues such as reconnecting with their families and communities, coming to terms with the reasons why they came into care or finding themselves alone without the security of a family or community to fall back on.
One key difference between young people who have left care and other young adults is that most young people from 'intact' families live at home until their early 20s, and their movement towards independence usually involves a long transitional period during which time they may leave and return home multiple times. This safety net of a secure and supportive family and related support network is not always available to young people who have been in care on a long-term basis, particularly where they have experienced numerous placements during their time in out-of-home care.
These challenges, compounded by their experience of harm and removal from their families, means that young people leaving care are at significantly greater risk of experiencing homelessness, unemployment, substance abuse, young parenthood, social isolation and mental illness.
A well planned, gradual and flexible process for transitioning young people from care is therefore critical, including the potential provision of support for at least 6 to 12 months after they have left care.
Trends
Figures for children exiting out-of-home care refer to all children in out-of-home care funded by Child Safety Services, whether or not they are subject to a protective order. In 2007-08, 1,544 children exited out-of-home care, in comparison to 1,531 children in 2006-07.
- Last updated
- 29 July 2009