❓ Hon Nick Goiran questions the Minister for Child Protection regarding a discrepancy in the number of children reported in "other arrangements" for care, receiving a response that the calculation is incorrect and providing updated figures.
AnsweredQoN 655Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Communities—Home care services
655. Hon Nick Goiran to
the minister representing the Minister for Child
Protection:
I note that it is
National Child Protection Week and refer to the answer to my question asked on
20 August 2025 that did not address the discrepancy between the 1,051 children
reported as being in "other arrangements" on 25 June 2025 and the 560
children reported in those same arrangements on 14 August 2025.
(1) What accounts for this discrepancy of 491 children
between the two reporting dates?
(2) Were any definitional or reporting changes
made to the "other arrangements" category between 25 June and 14 August
2025?
(3) Will the minister provide an updated table as
at the most recent available date that outlines the number of children in care
by their living arrangement?
655. Hon Nick Goiran to
the minister representing the Minister for Child
Protection:
I note that it is
National Child Protection Week and refer to the answer to my question asked on
20 August 2025 that did not address the discrepancy between the 1,051 children
reported as being in "other arrangements" on 25 June 2025 and the 560
children reported in those same arrangements on 14 August 2025.
(1) What accounts for this discrepancy of 491 children
between the two reporting dates?
(2) Were any definitional or reporting changes
made to the "other arrangements" category between 25 June and 14 August
2025?
(3) Will the minister provide an updated table as
at the most recent available date that outlines the number of children in care
by their living arrangement?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question. I provide the following
answer on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture and Food representing the
Minister for Child Protection.
(1) The calculation to arrive at 491 children
between the two reporting dates is incorrect. The data cannot be calculated in
this way as they are point-in-time figures and the data was provided in
response to specific questions without notice on 24 June 2025, question 450,
and 12 August 2025, question 532. At the time these questions were asked,
"other" was used to characterise care arrangements not specifically
referred to in those questions.
(2) No.
(3) The information
is in tabular form and I seek leave to have it incorporated into Hansard .
Leave granted for
the following material to be incorporated.
Living Arrangement
As at 31 August 2025
Foster Care
with Family Member
2381
Department
General Foster Care
1119
Funded
Service Foster Care
601
Parent/Former
Guardian
200
Funded
Service Residential
513
Self-selected
Arrangement
326
Departmental
Residential
94
Other
45
Total
5279
honourable member for some notice of the question. I provide the following
answer on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture and Food representing the
Minister for Child Protection.
(1) The calculation to arrive at 491 children
between the two reporting dates is incorrect. The data cannot be calculated in
this way as they are point-in-time figures and the data was provided in
response to specific questions without notice on 24 June 2025, question 450,
and 12 August 2025, question 532. At the time these questions were asked,
"other" was used to characterise care arrangements not specifically
referred to in those questions.
(2) No.
(3) The information
is in tabular form and I seek leave to have it incorporated into Hansard .
Leave granted for
the following material to be incorporated.
Living Arrangement
As at 31 August 2025
Foster Care
with Family Member
2381
Department
General Foster Care
1119
Funded
Service Foster Care
601
Parent/Former
Guardian
200
Funded
Service Residential
513
Self-selected
Arrangement
326
Departmental
Residential
94
Other
45
Total
5279
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