Family Collapse

Abuse, Placement in care, Divorce, Death of a parent or both, Family,

disturbance (drugs, loss of income etc.), and Homelessness

Divorce

1 in 3 marriages ends in Divorce

In 2008 47209 divorces were filed

48% of these divorces involved children

Child Abuse

23% of Australian children will be the victim of a sexual assault before the age of 18. 85% of sexual abuse occurs at homeIn 98% of all cases reported to officials, children’s statements are found to be true

Types of abuse

•Physical Abuse

•Sexual Abuse

•Neglect

•Emotional Abuse

 

Total notifications

Total finalised investigations

Total substantiations

Children on orders

Children in OOHC

1999-00 107,134 47,007 24,732 19,262 16,923

2000-01 115,471 66,265 27,367 19,917 18,241

2001-02 137,938 80,371 30,473 20,557 18,880

2002-03 198,355 95,382 40,416 22,130 20,297

2003-04 219,384 (a) (a) (a) 21,795

2004-05 252,831 121,292 46,154 24,075(c) 23,695

2005-06 266,745 137,829 55,921 26,215(c) 25,454

2006-07 309,448 (b) 60,230 28,854(c) 28,379

2007-08 317,526 148,824 55,120 32,642(c) 31,166

2008-09 339,454 162,259 54,621 35,409(c) 34,069

Table 1: Total number of notifications, investigations and substantiations across Australia from 1999-00 to 2008-09,

and total number of children on orders and in out-of-home care at 30 June 1999 to 2009

Source: AIHW (2010)Notes: (a) Due to the implementation of a new information management system, New South Wales could not provide data for investigations, substantiations or children on orders in 2003-04. (b) Due to the implementation of a new information management system, Queensland was unable to provide investigation data in 2006-07 (c) The data Victoria for previous years were updated in 2009. This data may not match data published in prior publications of Child Protection Australia

Foster Care

Statistics from 2005 there were 20,297 children living in out of home care

Between 1997-2003 the no. of children living out of home rose by 45%

51% of these children live in foster care

Types of foster care:

• Emergency or crisis care

• Respite care

• Short to medium term care

• Long term or permanent care

Some foster families can be great and have a positive impact on a child's life

Table 1. Children admitted to out-of-home care by age group, states and territories, 2008-09

Age (years)

NSW VIC1 QLD WA SA TAS ACT NT Australia

<1 726 396 530 171 127 50 23 41 2,064

1-4 1,293 724 769 237 170 85 46 82 3,406

5-9 1,134 649 726 198 133 96 39 64 3,039

10-14 1,085 801 719 170 136 90 60 111 3,172

15-17 325 366 271 21 94 28 26 20 1,151

Unknown 1 - - - - - - - 1

Total 4,564 2,936 3,015 797 660 349 194 318 12,883

  Percent

<1 15.9 13.5 17.6 21.5 19.2 14.3 11.9 12.9 16.1

1-4 28.3 24.7 25.5 29.7 25.8 24.4 23.7 25.8 26.5

5-9 24.9 22.1 24.1 24.8 20.2 27.5 20.1 20.1 23.7

10-14 23.8 27.3 23.8 21.3 20.6 25.8 30.9 34.9 24.7

15-17 7.1 12.5 9.0 2.6 14.2 8.0 13.4 6.3 9.0

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Death of a Parent

PROPORTION OF PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCED PARENTAL DIVORCE OR SEPARATION, OR DEATH DURING THEIR CHILDHOOD - 2006-07

Give children the opportunity to express their grief in their own way

Don’t hurry grief

Be Reassuring

Child Homelessness

Australia Homeless StatisticsThe 2001 Population Census data:99,900 houseless people in Australia (105,304 in 1996)10% under the age of 12 years36% young people between 12 and 24 years

Family Disturbance: loss of income, drugs, etc.