OPINION | Queensland’s Missing Children

24 July 2025

As the Commission of Inquiry into Queensland’s child safety system kicks off, we are already seeing signs that the system needs a complete overhaul.

There are currently 12,705 children in the care of the Department of Child Safety, the problem being they have no idea where 780 of those children are. These children have either been removed from their parents or left on their own accord and are currently unaccounted for. No one can say for sure if they are homeless, living with someone who is exploiting them criminally or sexually, or dead in a ditch somewhere.

In many cases, the Department refers to this as “self-placing,” which seems to occur at whatever age a child can clearly express their intention to live wherever and with whoever they like, provided they claim to be happy and safe. This is not right. To me, ‘self-placing’ shouldn’t be an option when it comes to a child’s safety.

In response to hundreds of kids missing from care, the Government has ordered an audit. But audits are meant for balance sheets and stockrooms, not for children. Every missing child is a real person who could be in danger, not just a number on a spreadsheet.

It’s also been revealed that most residential care providers in Queensland are operating without a ‘licence’. In the last financial year, 110 unlicenced providers received $474 million in government funding. How can the Department have been paying invoices to operators who are not even licenced to operate? The former Labor Government sold resi care as the solution to house children that were supposed to be in their care, instead they simply contracted out the problem with next to no oversight.

There’s also been complaints that the Department has been going after families who need support, not their child taken from them. In some cases, children have been removed or allowed to self-place because the child has reported a dislike for discipline, or because they are expected to complete basic chores and follow a daily routine. The Government should be focusing on the serious and legitimate cases of child abuse that occur in this State instead of targeting the low hanging fruit.

It is a dangerous mindset in the system that gives more weight to what a child wants than what they need. Children need structure. They need adults who will set boundaries, teach responsibility and help them grow into contributing members of society. That is the purpose of parenting.

Instead, we are seeing the creation of a system where children are allowed to float between homes, reject guidance and disengage entirely. This is not preparing them for adult life where they should be expected to contribute and be accountable. It is pushing them toward a future of instability, welfare dependence and a possible life behind bars for some.

No doubt, there are families out there who are struggling but still try to do the right thing but are ignored. It would be more effective and more ethical to invest in keeping families together through early support, rather than waiting for things to fall apart and then spending up to $1,300 per night to place a child in residential care, destroying a family in the process.

The Commission of Inquiry into Queensland’s child safety system has been given a $20 million budget and will run for 17 months. That inquiry must deliver more than a report, it must result in an entire overhaul. Queenslanders expect that children in care are safe and accounted for, while families are being supported.

Deputy Leader of the Katter’s Australian Party, and State Member for Hinchinbrook,

Nick Dametto.

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