Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander 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.
Over-representation in the child protection system
The majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in Queensland live safely at home with family and kin, connected to community and culture.
However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people are over-represented in the child protection system both in Queensland and nationally at levels significantly above their population share (9% at June 2024).
The Child Protection Act 1999 recognises a child has the right to be brought up safely in culture within the child’s own family, kin and community. Safe families, supported by strong community and cultural networks provide a solid childhood foundation for education, employment and health outcomes later in life.
The Queensland Government is committed to Target 12 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap—to reduce the rate of overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by 45% by 2031—and is progressing this commitment through Safe and Supported: The National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2021–2031 and its action plans.
The department continues to work in partnership with the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and non-government partners to develop and deliver culturally responsive and safe models of care and prevention and early intervention family support.
Percentage of children in care who are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (quarterly)
| 31 Mar 2025 | 30 Jun 2025 | 30 Sep 2025 | 31 Dec 2025 | 31 Mar 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children in care | |||||
| Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | 47.8% | 48.3% | 48.7% | 49.2% | 49.7% |
| Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander(a) | 52.2% | 51.7% | 51.3% | 50.8% | 50.3% |
| Foster Care | |||||
| Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | 50.3% | 50.7% | 50.4% | 51.8% | 52.8% |
| Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander(a) | 49.7% | 49.3% | 49.6% | 48.2% | 47.2% |
| Kinship Care | |||||
| Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | 46.5% | 47.4% | 48.1% | 47.9% | 48.3% |
| Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander(a) | 53.5% | 52.6% | 51.9% | 52.1% | 51.7% |
| Residential Care | |||||
| Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | 46.3% | 46.6% | 47.2% | 48.2% | 48.3% |
| Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander(a) | 53.7% | 53.4% | 52.8% | 51.8% | 51.7% |
Percentage of children in care who are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (annual)
| 30 Jun 2021 | 30 Jun 2022 | 30 Jun 2023 | 30 Jun 2024 | 30 Jun 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children in care | |||||
| Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | 44.1% | 45.2% | 46.1% | 47.2% | 48.3% |
| Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander(a) | 55.9% | 54.8% | 53.9% | 52.8% | 51.7% |
| Foster Care | |||||
| Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | 45.8% | 46.4% | 46.9% | 49.6% | 50.7% |
| Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander(a) | 54.2% | 53.6% | 53.1% | 50.4% | 49.3% |
| Kinship Care | |||||
| Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | 43.0% | 44.4% | 46.7% | 46.2% | 47.4% |
| Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander(a) | 57.0% | 55.6% | 53.3% | 53.8% | 52.6% |
| Residential Care | |||||
| Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | 42.7% | 44.5% | 42.4% | 45.2% | 46.6% |
| Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander(a) | 57.3% | 55.5% | 57.6% | 54.8% | 53.4% |
Source: Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety
Notes:
1. Data is at the reference date.
2. 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) 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.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children in care - Rate per 1,000
| 30 Jun 2021 | 30 Jun 2022 | 30 Jun 2023 | 30 Jun 2024 | 30 Jun 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander | 44.8 | 46.6 | 47.7 | 49.6 | 54.2 |
Source: Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety
Notes:
1. Data is as at the reference date.
2. Rate per thousand: Counts the number of children in care 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.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children entering care or admitted to a child protection order - Rate per 1,000
Source: Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety
- Updated data beyond the 31 March 2025 quarter is not yet available for this measure but will be progressively updated as data becomes available.
- Data is for the year ending the reference date (12 months of data).
- Children entering care: Counts the number of children admitted into care. If a child entered care more than once within the reference period, the child is counted only once.
- Children admitted to a child protection order: Counts the number of children admitted to child protection orders in the reference period. If a child is the subject to more than one admission to a child protection order, the child is counted only once.
- Rate per thousand: Counts the number of children on a child protection order or children entering care 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.
- Children in care: The provision of care outside the family home to children who are in need of protection or who require a safe placement while their protection and safety needs are assessed. In accordance with nationally agreed reporting definitions, data for children in care refers to children placed with kin, other home-based carers or residential care services.
- Child protection order: A child protection order is an order made by the Childrens Court under the Child Protection Act 1999, when a child is assessed to be in need of protection. There are different types of child protection orders, depending on a child and family's situation, including directive orders, supervision orders, custody orders and guardianship orders.
From June 2019 - Estimated resident population data for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and/or 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).