QUEENSLAND — The Queensland government confirmed that vulnerable children slept on the floor of public service offices due to a lack of emergency accommodation. Premier David Crisafulli stated on Monday that this practice was also used under his LNP government. "She was trying to fix 10 years of a broken system," Crisafulli said.

The government indicated that such housing would typically occur only in the early morning if other options were unavailable. "These kids otherwise might be on the street," Crisafulli said. The Together union reported that children in the child safety system slept overnight on air mattresses at the Toowoomba and Ipswich West child safety service centers this month and last month. The union also told Guardian Australia on Tuesday that this practice was becoming more common.

Child safety minister Amanda Camm denied that children have been housed in offices since the conclusion of a commission of inquiry into the sector last month. "We have been clear about the fact that no child has been moved from residential care to a Child Safety Service Centre, therefore any suggestion there is a link between the Crisafulli Government's reforms and children seeking emergency overnight refuge is wrong," Camm said. She added that the department has provided supervised refuge in a child safety service center "Only in extreme and emergent circumstances, where children are taken into child safety custody after hours, has the department provided supervised refuge in a child safety service centre, while stable and permanent accommodation is sourced within hours." Camm noted that "While these situations are rare, there are examples dating back to 2019 and there have been no instances of this occurring since the Commission of Inquiry concluded."

The practice of housing children in public service offices has been used in emergencies since 2019 when short-term placement options could not be found. Dee Spink, Assistant Secretary of the Together union, stated that "Children being forced to sleep at the offices because there are no alternate options available reflect a system that has been stretched for too long." Spink also said that "This is not what a child safety officer is supposed to be doing." and "They are not there to be that overnight supervisor for young people." The Courier Mail reported that children were removed from homes without alternative arrangements made for them and were sleeping on mattresses in government offices.

Queensland has 12,500 children in out-of-home care, which is the largest number in the country. The state also has the largest residential care industry in the country, housing approximately 2,258 children, including 78 children under the age of five. The Queensland government ceased housing children under five in hotel accommodation after the recent commission of inquiry. The government also canceled contracts with unlicensed residential care providers with two weeks' notice. Many of these canceled contracts were understood to be expiring on June 30.

Why It Matters

The confirmed practice of vulnerable children sleeping in government offices shows strain on Queensland's child safety system, particularly concerning emergency accommodation. This issue surfaces after the conclusion of a commission of inquiry into the sector, which led to changes in housing practices for young children and a crackdown on unlicensed care providers. The Queensland government is required to respond to 52 recommendations from that inquiry within two months, indicating potential further reforms.