Intakes

Operational data

Operational data is primarily used by the Department to internally monitor operations and may inform adequate staffing and resourcing decisions.

Operational data has not been through a rigorous data cleansing process, and as such there is a margin of error to be considered when reviewing the data. Data is indicative only – providing information about trends, themes, emerging issues or areas requiring attention.

This data is not comparable to previously released corporate data. This data is also unlikely to match corporate data to be released later in 2026.

Once more contemporary corporate data is released, operational data will no longer be available.

This report has been developed using operational data, to provide an overview of performance and demand, and should be treated as indicative only. Operational data should be interpreted and used with caution and understanding of limitations outlined in caveats and data interpretation notes.

Intakes Recorded by Child Safety

Intakes

Footnotes and caveats

  • Data is presented for the 12 months ending 31 December 2025.
  • Axes may vary by chart and region. Please see total figures.

Data interpretation notes

  • When a concern about a child's safety or wellbeing is received by the department, an intake is recorded.
  • An intake is the initial decision-making point where the department determines its response to information received about children. Intakes are progressed through Regional Intake Services (RIS).
  • This data shows the total number of intake cases received by the department over the last 12 months, ending December 2025, by region. An intake case is counted as “1 intake received” regardless of the number of children in the household.
  • Data exclusions: Excludes all matters where there is no subject child listed, reopened matters, matters with a status of ‘created in error’, matters created by non-RIS centres, matters with an outcome that is not a Child Concern Report or Notification.