Table of contents:
Graphs
Number of children subject to short-term child protection orders, by Indigenous status, Queensland, as at 30 June, 2007 to 2011
| Year | Indigenous | Non-Indigenous |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 1267 | 2659 |
| 2008 | 1425 | 2784 |
| 2009 | 1681 | 2897 |
| 2010 | 1700 | 2543 |
| 2011 | 1659 | 2409 |
Rate of children subject to short-term child protection orders, per 1,000 children aged 0-17 years, by Indigenous status, as at 30 June, 2007 to 2011
| Year | Indigenous | Non-Indigenous |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 18.9 | 2.8 |
| 2008 | 21 | 2.9 |
| 2009 | 24.6 | 3 |
| 2010 | 24.4 | 2.5 |
| 2011 | 23.7 | 2.4 |
Tables
| Description | Annual | Quarterly |
|---|---|---|
| ST.1: Children subject to short-term child protection orders, by Indigenous status, Queensland | Excel | Excel |
| ST.2: Children subject to short-term child protection orders, by age group and sex, Queensland | Excel | Excel |
| ST.3: Children subject to short-term child protection orders, by child safety zone, Queensland | Excel | |
| ST.4: Children subject to short-term child protection orders, by region, Queensland | Excel | Excel |
What are short-term child protection orders?
When the protection needs of a child during ongoing intervention cannot be met through intervention with parental agreement, the department applies for a child protection order through the Childrens Court to meet the needs of the child.
A child protection order is not sought if there are other ways to protect the child, such as working with the family voluntarily to resolve the problems that led to the significant harm or risk of harm, or connecting the family to a community support agency.
There are three kinds of short-term child protection orders:
- Directive order - directs a parent to do or refrain from doing something related to the child's protection, or directs a parent not to have contact or to have only supervised contact with the child. A directive order must not be for more than one year.
- Supervision order - requires the chief executive (Director-General) to supervise the child's protection in relation to the matters stated in the order. A supervision order must not be for more than one year.
- Short-term custody or guardianship orders - grants custody or guardianship to the chief executive or custody to a relative of the child. A short-term custody or guardianship order must not be for more than two years. A person who has custody of a child has the right and responsibility to attend to day-to-day matters only, including a child's daily care and making decisions about a child's daily care. They do not however have the power to make decisions about the long-term care, welfare and development of the child.
Why this topic is important
The first priority of the department is the safety of the child or young person who has come into contact with the child protection system.
Short-term child protection orders are a critical part of the child protection system. They provide the department with the authority to work with the family to reduce the risk of future harm with the aim of safely returning the child home.
Trends
Of the 8,371 children subject to child protection orders as at 30 June 2011, 4,068 were subject to short-term orders and 4,303 children were subject to long-term orders.
The number of children subject to short-term orders decreased by 4.1 per cent from 4,243 as at June 2010 to 4,068 children as at 30 June 2011.
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