Summary
Each year, around 3% of all children aged 0–17 are assisted by Australia’s child protection systems. Some children are unable to live safely at home as they may be at risk of being abused or neglected, or their parents may be unable to provide adequate care. Children and their families may receive support services to keep children with their families, or be subject to investigations of reports of child abuse/neglect, protection orders, and/or placement in out-of-home care, such as with a relative or foster carer.
This report presents statistics on state and territory child protection and family support services, and selected characteristics of children receiving these services. This includes statistics for 2019–20, and trends over the 5-year period from 2015–16 to 2019–20.
