Leaked October Child Safety data shows the performance of Queensland’s child protection system is only getting worse, despite Shannon Fentiman’s attempts to spin the numbers with the release of the September child safety data today.
Shadow Child Safety Minister Ros Bates said today’s September figures did not paint the most up-to-date picture of Queensland’s child safety system.
“Shannon Fentiman can spin the numbers but whichever way you look at it, more at-risk children are not being seen to within the required 24 hour timeframe,” Ms Bates said.
“Worse still, investigations requiring a five-day response are stuck at a record low level of 26 percent.
“Labor still has no answer to the record 9268 children in foster care that continues to grow.
“What’s more disturbing is almost 70 per cent of all child abuse investigations, including the most urgent cases, aren’t being seen to on time.
“We haven’t seen figures this bad since before the Commission of Inquiry into Child Safety – and we know things only get worse in October.
“Alarmingly, the leaked October data showed almost 4,000 cases of suspected child abuse being stuck in backlogs across the state.
“It’s no coincidence Shannon Fentiman has decided to drop the September data in the dead of the night at the same time as the Report on Government Services Data to bury the numbers.
“This shouldn’t be about protecting Shannon Fentiman’s political career, this should be about protecting our most vulnerable.”
