Queensland Government
Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services
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Stability and permanency of placements

Table of contents:

Graph

Proportion of children exiting out-of-home care, by number of different placements experienced whilst in out-of-home care, Queensland, 2006-07 to 2010-11 Proportion of children exiting out-of-home care, by number of different placements experienced whilst in out-of-home care, Queensland, 2006-07 to 2010-11

Year1 to 34 to 67 to 910 or more
2006-07 84.5852384 % 12.2142391 % 2.2207707 % 0.9797518 %
2007-08 83.2253886 % 12.5 % 3.4326425 % 0.8419689 %
2008-09 81.0286 % 14.4571 % 3.4286 % 1.0857 %
2009-10 77.91188896 % 17.62220881 % 3.68135184 % 0.78455039 %
2010-11 76.351351351 % 17.26044226 % 4.238329238 % 2.14987715 %

Table

DescriptionAnnualQuarterly
SP.1: Children exiting out-of-home care, by length of time in out-of-home care and number of different placements, Queensland Excel (XLS, 38 KB) Excel (XLS, 29 KB)

What is stability and permanency of placements?

To match children with a placement that is right for them, the department assesses children's level of support needs.

  • Kinship care is the preferred placement option for children in care and is provided by a person related to the child or a member of a child's community and considered family, or a close friend.
  • Foster care is provided for children where placement with kin is not possible or appropriate.
  • Specialist foster care is a placement option for children who require intensive support in a family setting.
  • Residential care services are licensed to provide care in a group setting for young people who are not able to live in a family setting.
  • Supported independent living is a form of residential care provided to some young people who are in the process of transitioning from care, with workers providing support through regular visits.
  • Therapeutic residential care services are being established for young people with complex to extreme support needs that cannot be met through other placement options.

Why this topic is important

When a child has been removed from their home for their own safety, the department aims to ensure they are placed in a stable care environment. This includes having as few different placements as possible. However, the best interests of the child or young person are always paramount and sometimes finding the best match for a child results in numerous placements.

Trends

Over the last five years, the majority of children exiting out-of-home care had one to three placements during their time in out-of-home care.

Of those children exiting out-of-home care during 2010-11, 76.4 per cent had 3 or fewer placements, 17.3 per cent had four to six placements, 4.2 per cent had seven to nine placements and 2.1 per cent had 10 or more placements.