A WA parliamentary question on notice addresses the number of Aboriginal children under six in care, the frequency of multiple placements, and the Department for Child Protection's response to this issue, including a planned study.

AnsweredQoN 490Legislative Council
Asked
27 May 2008
Portfolio
Child Protection

QuestionView source ↗

ABORIGINAL CHILDREN IN CARE — UNDER SIX YEARS OF AGE
I refer to the Budget Statements and the appointment of a project manager to undertake a review of a sample of cases that involve Indigenous children in care under the age of six years who have experienced multiple placements. (1) How many children under the age of six years are in care at present? (2) How many Aboriginal children under the age of six years are in care at present? (3) Of the Aboriginal children under the age of six years in care, how many have had multiple placements? (4) Will the minister provide a table of children aged one year who have had multiple placements and list how many placements; and do the same for children of two, three, four and five years of age? (5) Why are children of that age, who would have been born in 2002, being placed in multiple homes? (6) How many sample cases does the Department for Child Protection have already; what are their ages; and how many multiple homes have they had? Hon SUE ELLERY

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) 1 127. (2) 501. (3) 152. (4) Of the 19 children aged one year, eight have had four placements; six have had five; three have had eight; and two have had 16. Of the 28 children aged two years, 14 have had four placements; six have had five; five have had six; one has had seven; and two have had nine. Of the 29 children aged three years, eight have had four placements; seven have had five; four have had six; six have had seven; two have had eight; one has had 12; and one has had 13. Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16. (5) These numbers are not good, and that is why the multiple placement study arose as a result of the observations and recommendations of the Ford report on the effects on children experiencing multiple placements—at recommendations 39 to 52 of the report. The research will identify the key factors and the practice issues that need to be addressed to improve placement for Aboriginal children in care. (6) The sample for the study is not yet finalised, but will comprise approximately 30 children.
(1) How many children under the age of six years are in care at present? (2) How many Aboriginal children under the age of six years are in care at present? (3) Of the Aboriginal children under the age of six years in care, how many have had multiple placements? (4) Will the minister provide a table of children aged one year who have had multiple placements and list how many placements; and do the same for children of two, three, four and five years of age? (5) Why are children of that age, who would have been born in 2002, being placed in multiple homes? (6) How many sample cases does the Department for Child Protection have already; what are their ages; and how many multiple homes have they had? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) 1 127. (2) 501. (3) 152. (4) Of the 19 children aged one year, eight have had four placements; six have had five; three have had eight; and two have had 16. Of the 28 children aged two years, 14 have had four placements; six have had five; five have had six; one has had seven; and two have had nine. Of the 29 children aged three years, eight have had four placements; seven have had five; four have had six; six have had seven; two have had eight; one has had 12; and one has had 13. Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16. (5) These numbers are not good, and that is why the multiple placement study arose as a result of the observations and recommendations of the Ford report on the effects on children experiencing multiple placements—at recommendations 39 to 52 of the report. The research will identify the key factors and the practice issues that need to be addressed to improve placement for Aboriginal children in care. (6) The sample for the study is not yet finalised, but will comprise approximately 30 children.
(2) How many Aboriginal children under the age of six years are in care at present? (3) Of the Aboriginal children under the age of six years in care, how many have had multiple placements? (4) Will the minister provide a table of children aged one year who have had multiple placements and list how many placements; and do the same for children of two, three, four and five years of age? (5) Why are children of that age, who would have been born in 2002, being placed in multiple homes? (6) How many sample cases does the Department for Child Protection have already; what are their ages; and how many multiple homes have they had? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) 1 127. (2) 501. (3) 152. (4) Of the 19 children aged one year, eight have had four placements; six have had five; three have had eight; and two have had 16. Of the 28 children aged two years, 14 have had four placements; six have had five; five have had six; one has had seven; and two have had nine. Of the 29 children aged three years, eight have had four placements; seven have had five; four have had six; six have had seven; two have had eight; one has had 12; and one has had 13. Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16. (5) These numbers are not good, and that is why the multiple placement study arose as a result of the observations and recommendations of the Ford report on the effects on children experiencing multiple placements—at recommendations 39 to 52 of the report. The research will identify the key factors and the practice issues that need to be addressed to improve placement for Aboriginal children in care. (6) The sample for the study is not yet finalised, but will comprise approximately 30 children.
(3) Of the Aboriginal children under the age of six years in care, how many have had multiple placements? (4) Will the minister provide a table of children aged one year who have had multiple placements and list how many placements; and do the same for children of two, three, four and five years of age? (5) Why are children of that age, who would have been born in 2002, being placed in multiple homes? (6) How many sample cases does the Department for Child Protection have already; what are their ages; and how many multiple homes have they had? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) 1 127. (2) 501. (3) 152. (4) Of the 19 children aged one year, eight have had four placements; six have had five; three have had eight; and two have had 16. Of the 28 children aged two years, 14 have had four placements; six have had five; five have had six; one has had seven; and two have had nine. Of the 29 children aged three years, eight have had four placements; seven have had five; four have had six; six have had seven; two have had eight; one has had 12; and one has had 13. Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16. (5) These numbers are not good, and that is why the multiple placement study arose as a result of the observations and recommendations of the Ford report on the effects on children experiencing multiple placements—at recommendations 39 to 52 of the report. The research will identify the key factors and the practice issues that need to be addressed to improve placement for Aboriginal children in care. (6) The sample for the study is not yet finalised, but will comprise approximately 30 children.
(4) Will the minister provide a table of children aged one year who have had multiple placements and list how many placements; and do the same for children of two, three, four and five years of age? (5) Why are children of that age, who would have been born in 2002, being placed in multiple homes? (6) How many sample cases does the Department for Child Protection have already; what are their ages; and how many multiple homes have they had? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) 1 127. (2) 501. (3) 152. (4) Of the 19 children aged one year, eight have had four placements; six have had five; three have had eight; and two have had 16. Of the 28 children aged two years, 14 have had four placements; six have had five; five have had six; one has had seven; and two have had nine. Of the 29 children aged three years, eight have had four placements; seven have had five; four have had six; six have had seven; two have had eight; one has had 12; and one has had 13. Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16. (5) These numbers are not good, and that is why the multiple placement study arose as a result of the observations and recommendations of the Ford report on the effects on children experiencing multiple placements—at recommendations 39 to 52 of the report. The research will identify the key factors and the practice issues that need to be addressed to improve placement for Aboriginal children in care. (6) The sample for the study is not yet finalised, but will comprise approximately 30 children.
(5) Why are children of that age, who would have been born in 2002, being placed in multiple homes? (6) How many sample cases does the Department for Child Protection have already; what are their ages; and how many multiple homes have they had? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) 1 127. (2) 501. (3) 152. (4) Of the 19 children aged one year, eight have had four placements; six have had five; three have had eight; and two have had 16. Of the 28 children aged two years, 14 have had four placements; six have had five; five have had six; one has had seven; and two have had nine. Of the 29 children aged three years, eight have had four placements; seven have had five; four have had six; six have had seven; two have had eight; one has had 12; and one has had 13. Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16. (5) These numbers are not good, and that is why the multiple placement study arose as a result of the observations and recommendations of the Ford report on the effects on children experiencing multiple placements—at recommendations 39 to 52 of the report. The research will identify the key factors and the practice issues that need to be addressed to improve placement for Aboriginal children in care. (6) The sample for the study is not yet finalised, but will comprise approximately 30 children.
(6) How many sample cases does the Department for Child Protection have already; what are their ages; and how many multiple homes have they had? Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) 1 127. (2) 501. (3) 152. (4) Of the 19 children aged one year, eight have had four placements; six have had five; three have had eight; and two have had 16. Of the 28 children aged two years, 14 have had four placements; six have had five; five have had six; one has had seven; and two have had nine. Of the 29 children aged three years, eight have had four placements; seven have had five; four have had six; six have had seven; two have had eight; one has had 12; and one has had 13. Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16. (5) These numbers are not good, and that is why the multiple placement study arose as a result of the observations and recommendations of the Ford report on the effects on children experiencing multiple placements—at recommendations 39 to 52 of the report. The research will identify the key factors and the practice issues that need to be addressed to improve placement for Aboriginal children in care. (6) The sample for the study is not yet finalised, but will comprise approximately 30 children.
Hon SUE ELLERY replied: I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) 1 127. (2) 501. (3) 152. (4) Of the 19 children aged one year, eight have had four placements; six have had five; three have had eight; and two have had 16. Of the 28 children aged two years, 14 have had four placements; six have had five; five have had six; one has had seven; and two have had nine. Of the 29 children aged three years, eight have had four placements; seven have had five; four have had six; six have had seven; two have had eight; one has had 12; and one has had 13. Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16. (5) These numbers are not good, and that is why the multiple placement study arose as a result of the observations and recommendations of the Ford report on the effects on children experiencing multiple placements—at recommendations 39 to 52 of the report. The research will identify the key factors and the practice issues that need to be addressed to improve placement for Aboriginal children in care. (6) The sample for the study is not yet finalised, but will comprise approximately 30 children.
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. (1) 1 127. (2) 501. (3) 152. (4) Of the 19 children aged one year, eight have had four placements; six have had five; three have had eight; and two have had 16. Of the 28 children aged two years, 14 have had four placements; six have had five; five have had six; one has had seven; and two have had nine. Of the 29 children aged three years, eight have had four placements; seven have had five; four have had six; six have had seven; two have had eight; one has had 12; and one has had 13. Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16. (5) These numbers are not good, and that is why the multiple placement study arose as a result of the observations and recommendations of the Ford report on the effects on children experiencing multiple placements—at recommendations 39 to 52 of the report. The research will identify the key factors and the practice issues that need to be addressed to improve placement for Aboriginal children in care. (6) The sample for the study is not yet finalised, but will comprise approximately 30 children.
(1) 1 127. (2) 501. (3) 152. (4) Of the 19 children aged one year, eight have had four placements; six have had five; three have had eight; and two have had 16. Of the 28 children aged two years, 14 have had four placements; six have had five; five have had six; one has had seven; and two have had nine. Of the 29 children aged three years, eight have had four placements; seven have had five; four have had six; six have had seven; two have had eight; one has had 12; and one has had 13. Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16. (5) These numbers are not good, and that is why the multiple placement study arose as a result of the observations and recommendations of the Ford report on the effects on children experiencing multiple placements—at recommendations 39 to 52 of the report. The research will identify the key factors and the practice issues that need to be addressed to improve placement for Aboriginal children in care. (6) The sample for the study is not yet finalised, but will comprise approximately 30 children.
(2) 501. (3) 152. (4) Of the 19 children aged one year, eight have had four placements; six have had five; three have had eight; and two have had 16. Of the 28 children aged two years, 14 have had four placements; six have had five; five have had six; one has had seven; and two have had nine. Of the 29 children aged three years, eight have had four placements; seven have had five; four have had six; six have had seven; two have had eight; one has had 12; and one has had 13. Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16. (5) These numbers are not good, and that is why the multiple placement study arose as a result of the observations and recommendations of the Ford report on the effects on children experiencing multiple placements—at recommendations 39 to 52 of the report. The research will identify the key factors and the practice issues that need to be addressed to improve placement for Aboriginal children in care. (6) The sample for the study is not yet finalised, but will comprise approximately 30 children.
(3) 152. (4) Of the 19 children aged one year, eight have had four placements; six have had five; three have had eight; and two have had 16. Of the 28 children aged two years, 14 have had four placements; six have had five; five have had six; one has had seven; and two have had nine. Of the 29 children aged three years, eight have had four placements; seven have had five; four have had six; six have had seven; two have had eight; one has had 12; and one has had 13. Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16. (5) These numbers are not good, and that is why the multiple placement study arose as a result of the observations and recommendations of the Ford report on the effects on children experiencing multiple placements—at recommendations 39 to 52 of the report. The research will identify the key factors and the practice issues that need to be addressed to improve placement for Aboriginal children in care. (6) The sample for the study is not yet finalised, but will comprise approximately 30 children.
(4) Of the 19 children aged one year, eight have had four placements; six have had five; three have had eight; and two have had 16. Of the 28 children aged two years, 14 have had four placements; six have had five; five have had six; one has had seven; and two have had nine. Of the 29 children aged three years, eight have had four placements; seven have had five; four have had six; six have had seven; two have had eight; one has had 12; and one has had 13. Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16. (5) These numbers are not good, and that is why the multiple placement study arose as a result of the observations and recommendations of the Ford report on the effects on children experiencing multiple placements—at recommendations 39 to 52 of the report. The research will identify the key factors and the practice issues that need to be addressed to improve placement for Aboriginal children in care. (6) The sample for the study is not yet finalised, but will comprise approximately 30 children.
Of the 29 children aged three years, eight have had four placements; seven have had five; four have had six; six have had seven; two have had eight; one has had 12; and one has had 13. Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16.
Of the 32 children aged four years, 10 have had four placements; five have had five; five have had six; seven have had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; one has had 12; and one has had 17. Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16.
Of the 39 children aged five years, eight have had four placements; 15 have had five; eight have had six; one has had seven; two have had eight; one has had nine; two have had 11; one has had 14; and one has had 16.
(6) The sample for the study is not yet finalised, but will comprise approximately 30 children.

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