Children in care
In April 2025, the department transitioned to a new client management system (Unify).
Updated data beyond the 31 March 2025 quarter is now available for selected performance measures and will be progressively updated as further data becomes available.
Children in Care by care arrangement
| 30 Jun 2025 | 30 Sep 2025 | 31 Dec 2025 | 31 Mar 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children in care | 12,976 | 13,222 | 13,342 | 13,562 |
| Home-based | 10,605 | 10,673 | 10,766 | 10,743 |
| Foster Care(a) | 4,162 | 4,203 | 4,169 | 4,251 |
| Kinship Care(b) | 6,443 | 6,470 | 6,597 | 6,492 |
| Residential Care(c) | 2,371 | 2,549 | 2,576 | 2,819 |
Children in Care by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Status
| 30 Jun 2025 | 30 Sep 2025 | 31 Dec 2025 | 31 Mar 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children in care | 12,976 | 13,222 | 13,342 | 13,562 |
| Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | 6,267 | 6,435 | 6,560 | 6,745 |
| Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander(e) | 6,709 | 6,787 | 6,782 | 6,817 |
Children in Care by age grouping(d)
| 30 Jun 2025 | 30 Sep 2025 | 31 Dec 2025 | 31 Mar 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children in Care | 12,976 | 13,222 | 13,342 | 13,562 |
| Foster Care(a) | 4,162 | 4,203 | 4,169 | 4,251 |
| 0 to 4 | 1,336 | 1,364 | 1,344 | 1,394 |
| 5 to 9 | 1,360 | 1,368 | 1,370 | 1,397 |
| 10 to 14 | 1,087 | 1,080 | 1,062 | 1,080 |
| 15 to 17 | 379 | 391 | 393 | 380 |
| Kinship Care(b) | 6,443 | 6,470 | 6,597 | 6,492 |
| 0 to 4 | 1,406 | 1,428 | 1,496 | 1,450 |
| 5 to 9 | 1,962 | 1,955 | 1,983 | 1,967 |
| 10 to 14 | 2,041 | 2,063 | 2,086 | 2,059 |
| 15 to 17 | 1,034 | 1,024 | 1,032 | 1,016 |
| Residential Care(c) | 2,371 | 2,549 | 2,576 | 2,819 |
| 0 to 4 | 83 | 96 | 91 | 107 |
| 5 to 9 | 419 | 467 | 457 | 539 |
| 10 to 14 | 977 | 1,050 | 1,056 | 1,144 |
| 15 to 17 | 892 | 936 | 972 | 1,029 |
Siblings living together
| 30 Jun 2025 | 30 Sep 2025 | 31 Dec 2025 | 31 Mar 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children in care | 12,976 | 13,222 | 13,342 | 13,562 |
| Siblings in care | 9,739 | 9,894 | 9,939 | 10,073 |
| Living with at least one sibling | 6,835 | 6,908 | 6,935 | 6,972 |
| Not living with at least one sibling | 2,904 | 2,986 | 3,004 | 3,101 |
| Children with no sibling in care | 3,237 | 3,328 | 3,403 | 3,489 |
Source: Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety
Notes
1. Data is at the reference date.
2. Counts the number of children in care (Foster Care, Kinship Care, and Residential Care services).
3. The department transitioned to a new client management system (Unify) in April 2025 which requires rebuilding datasets for reporting purposes. Potential data integrity issues may emerge as Unify matures and interrelated datasets are rebuilt. As a result, data for the period June 2025 onwards may be subject to correction to maintain accuracy and transparency.
(a) Foster care: Includes children living with a Foster Carer or a provisionally approved Foster Carer where no family relationship exists between Carer and child.
(b) Kinship Care: Includes children living with a Kinship Carer (including provisionally approved Kinship Carers), and children living with a Foster Carer or provisionally approved Foster Carer where a family relationship exists between the Carer and child. The increase in June 2025 for children living with kin is partially attributed to the improved data capture in Unify, as the type of approval being sought for provisionally approved Carers (Foster or Kinship) is now available for corporate reporting.
(c) Residential Care: Includes children living in non-family-based accommodation and support services funded by the department to provide care arrangements for children, generally aged 12 years and over. These services provide daily care and support for children by rostered Residential Care workers.
(d) Age and age group: Based on the age of the child as at the reference date.
(e) Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: Includes non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and children whose Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status is unknown or not stated.
Living arrangements of children
Updated data beyond the 31 March 2025 quarter is not yet available for some performance measures but will be progressively updated as data becomes available.
Some Queensland families are unable to provide a safe, secure and caring environment for their children. When this becomes apparent, the department must act to ensure that the response provided is in the best interests of the child or young person. If necessary, this can result in children and young people being cared for in arrangements that are away from their home.
The department uses various care arrangements for the children in its care including family-based care (foster, kinship and provisionally approved carers) and residential care services.
Wherever possible, the department seeks to place a child with extended family (kinship carers) in order to maintain family connections.
Children may also be living in other locations such as, health facilities, boarding schools, independent living arrangements and youth detention centres.
When placing an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander child, active efforts are made to apply the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child placement principle. If an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child cannot be placed with a member of their family group, a culturally appropriate placement is sought in accordance with the Child Protection Act 1999, section 83, which provides a hierarchy of placement options for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child.
Living arrangements of children
Source: Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety
- Data is as at the reference date.
- Counts the number of children living away from home, including in care (foster care, kinship care and residential care services) and all other locations such as hospitals, boarding schools, independent living and Queensland youth detention centres.
- Age group: Based on the age of the child as at the reference date.
- Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: Includes non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and children whose Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status is unknown or not stated.
- Foster care: Includes children living with a foster carer or a provisionally approved carer where no family relationship exists between carer and child.
- Kinship care: Includes children living with a kinship carer, and children living with a foster carer or provisionally approved carer where a family relationship exists between the carer and child.
- Residential care: Includes children living in non-family-based accommodation and support services funded by the department to provide care arrangements for children, generally aged 12 years and over. These services provide daily care and support for children by rostered residential care workers.
- Other: Includes locations such as hospitals, boarding schools, Queensland youth detention centres and all other locations.
Children living away from home - Rate per 1,000
Source: Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety
- Data is as at the reference date.
- A child is counted only once in each reference period.
- Rate per thousand: Counts the number of children in living arrangements outside the childs home, divided by the population of children and young people aged 0-17 years of age. Population data is sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and is based on estimated resident population for Queenslanders aged 0-17 years, as at 30 June of the previous year.
- Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: Includes non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and children whose Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status is unknown or not stated.
- Living away from home: The provision of care outside the home to children who are in need of protection or who require a safe placement while their protection and safety needs are assessed. Living away from home refers to children in out-of-home care (foster care, approved kinship care, provisionally approved care and residential care services) and other locations such as hospitals, Queensland youth detention centres, independent living.
From June 2019 - Estimated resident population data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in Queensland have been revised for all reference periods using rebased population estimates by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2016 Census based) sourced from the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office. The size, structure and components of these estimates supersede those previously published by the ABS (2011 Census based).
From June 2023 - Estimated resident population data for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in Queensland have been revised for all reference periods using rebased population estimates by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2021 Census based) sourced from the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office. The size, structure and components of these estimates supersede those previously published by the ABS (2016 Census based).
Living arrangements of children receiving ongoing support
Source: Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety
- Data is as at the reference date.
- Counts the number of children receiving ongoing support as at the reference date.
- A child is counted only once in each reference period.
- Age group: Based on the age of the child as at the reference date.
- Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: Includes non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and children whose Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status is unknown or not stated.
- Foster care: Includes children living with a foster carer or a provisionally approved carer where no family relationship exists between carer and child.
- Kinship care: Includes children living with a kinship carer, and children living with a foster carer or provisionally approved carer where a family relationship exists between the carer and child.
- Residential care: Includes children living in non-family-based accommodation and support services funded by the department to provide care arrangements for children, generally aged 12 years and over. These services provide daily care and support for children by rostered residential care workers.
- Other: Includes locations such as hospitals, boarding schools, Queensland youth detention centres and all other locations.