A recent Queensland Family and Child Commission report warns that the state's over-reliance on residential care has driven costs from around AUD 200 million in 2015 to AUD 1.12 billion in 2024, and without systemic reform, expenses could skyrocket to as much as AUD 7 billion annually by 2030.The growth is fueled by declines in foster care availability alongside rising family violence, poverty, and homelessness. A lack of strategic planning and regulatory oversight has spurred inefficiencies—such as costly last-minute placements, including hotel stays—and even provider manipulation of funding formulas. The Commission urges urgent reform: a shift toward early intervention and family-based alternative models, improved transparency and data publication, and pilot programs aimed at reducing reliance on residential care to better serve and protect vulnerable children.