Residential Care Review

Children and young people who cannot live safely with their parents require different kinds of care arrangements depending on their individual needs. Residential care is designed for teenagers whose special needs mean they are unable to be in a home-based care type, including living with their relatives, kinship carers or foster carers.

In July 2023, the Queensland Government announced a review of Queensland’s residential care system. The review responds to the community’s, sector’s, and QFCC’s concerns about the increasing number of children and infants in this type of care and their life outcomes.

The Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services will lead the review, and the Honourable Craig Crawford MP, Minister for Child Safety and Minister for Seniors and Disability Services has asked QFCC Principal Commissioner Luke Twyford to provide independent oversight of the review and independent advice on the review’s outcomes.

The review includes:

• regional sector forums to hear directly from those in the system about the current challenges and opportunities
• site inspections of the differing residential care models in operation in Queensland
• a public survey
• written submissions
• discreet statewide forums for sector members and children in the system with lived experience of residential care
• a ministerial Roundtable
• production of a Reform Roadmap outlining the critical actions that will be taken.  

The review will include a range of opportunities for stakeholders and people with lived experience of residential care to engage, inform and shape the review and its deliverables.
 

Deliverables

The review will inform the development of a Roadmap for Contemporary Residential Care in Queensland, which will be delivered for Minister Crawford’s consideration in December 2023.

The roadmap will:

• provide an overview of evidence and best practice
• outline future directions for non-family-based care, including identified issues and future opportunities
• propose an implementation plan.
   

What is the QFCC’s role in the review?

The Principal Commissioner will provide independent oversight of the review process and provide government with strategic, independent advice on how Queensland can improve outcomes and prevent harm to children and young people.

The QFCC will conduct an independent assessment of the effectiveness of the review findings, proposed recommendations and models to provide assurances to government and the public.

We will report monthly on the progress of the review, publishing to this webpage. Please navigate to the bottom of this page.

Can I get involved?

Community members are encouraged to participate in the review and contribute to shaping the future of residential care services.

You can share your views through the Get Involved submission portal, which has been set up to provide individuals and organisations an opportunity to contribute to building a better residential care system for Queensland children and young people.

You can also send a formal written submission to the Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services via email at non-familybasedcareandtertiarysupportmailbox@cyjma.qld.gov.au

Feedback on the residential care system will be accepted rather than personal accounts of specific care experiences.

Submissions and the Get Involved portal will be open until 29th September 2023.