Living arrangements of children

Improving care and post care support

In care, children and young people will have the supports they need to enjoy their childhood, feel safe and cared for, and develop into adulthood.

Living arrangements of children

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 Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services.

  1. Data is as at the reference date.
  2. 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, supported independent living and Queensland youth detention centres.
  3. Age group: Based on the age of the child as at the reference date.
  4. 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.
  1. Foster care: Includes children living with a foster carer or a provisionally approved carer where no family relationship exists between carer and child.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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 Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services.

  1. Data is as at the reference date.
  2. A child is counted only once in each reference period.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  1. 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 Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services.

  1. Data is as at the reference date.
  2. Counts the number of children receiving ongoing support as at the reference date.
  3. A child is counted only once in each reference period.
  4. Age group: Based on the age of the child as at the reference date.
  5. 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.
  1. Foster care: Includes children living with a foster carer or a provisionally approved carer where no family relationship exists between carer and child.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Other: Includes locations such as hospitals, boarding schools, Queensland youth detention centres and all other locations.