Table of contents:
Graphs
Number of children exiting out-of-home care, by Indigenous status, Queensland, 2007-08 to 2011-12
| Year | Indigenous | Non-Indigenous | All children |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 | 454 | 1077 | 1531 |
| 2007-08 | 434 | 1110 | 1544 |
| 2008-09 | 500 | 1250 | 1750 |
| 2009-10 | 597 | 1061 | 1658 |
| 2010-11 | 575 | 1053 | 1628 |
Proportion of children exiting out-of-home care, by age group, Queensland, 2007-08 to 2011-12
| Year | 0 to 4 | 5 to 9 | 10 to 14 | 15 to 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 | 32.5277596 % | 22.9915088 % | 23.9712606 % | 20.5094709 % |
| 2007-08 | 28.7564767 % | 21.8264249 % | 22.2797927 % | 27.1373057 % |
| 2008-09 | 26.8 % | 21.4857143 % | 23.6571429 % | 28.0571429 % |
| 2009-10 | 26.960193 % | 21.5319662 % | 21.5922799 % | 29.9155609 % |
| 2010-11 | 23.5872235 % | 21.007371 % | 23.034398 % | 32.3710073 % |
Tables
| Description | Annual | Quarterly |
|---|---|---|
| E.1: Children exiting out-of-home care, by Indigenous status, Queensland | Excel Excel | Excel Excel |
| E.2: Children exiting out-of-home care, by age group, Queensland | Excel Excel | Excel Excel |
What does exiting out-of-home care mean?
When a child is placed in out-of-home care for protective reasons, the department attempts to reunify the child and their family, where this is in the best interests of the child.
Family reunification occurs when the 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, for those exiting care at age 18, finding themselves alone without the security of a family to fall back on.
A well planned, gradual and flexible process for reunifying children with their families or transitioning young people to independence is therefore critical.
To determine if a child can be reunified a child safety officer must undertake a family reunification assessment which takes into account a number of factors. This can include the family progress with their case plan, a safety assessment, an evaluation of the quality of parent-child interactions and the current case status.
Trends
Figures for children exiting out-of-home care refer to all children in out-of-home care, whether or not they are subject to a protective order. In 2011-12, 1,350 children exited out-of-home care, in comparison to 1,628 children in 2010-11. The age group with the largest number of exits was 15 to 17 year olds with 518 children exiting in 2011-12 (this age group includes children exiting care when they turn 18)
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