A commission of inquiry into Queensland’s child safety system has heard that ambitious reform targets were significantly impacted by insufficient funding, limiting the department’s ability to improve outcomes for children in care. Evidence presented by former director-general Deidre Mulkerin highlighted ongoing pressures within the system, including rising demand and escalating costs.
The inquiry was told the department had aimed to shift more children into family-based foster and kinship care, with a target of 91 per cent by 2027, reducing reliance on residential care. However, this goal was described as unrealistic given the existing trends and resource constraints, with the number of children in residential care continuing to increase rather than decline.
Ms Mulkerin told the inquiry that while substantial funding was requested to support these targets, only a fraction was allocated. The department sought approximately $1.5 billion to meet its objectives but received around $280 million, limiting its capacity to deliver meaningful reform.
The inquiry also heard that cost pressures within the system had grown rapidly, contributing to challenges in service delivery and reducing the ability to intervene effectively in children’s lives. It was acknowledged that opportunities to improve outcomes for some children may have been missed due to these systemic constraints.
