Qld: Children abused because welfare cannot cope, says group

AAP General News (Australia)
12-19-2001
Qld: Children abused because welfare cannot cope, says group

A child advocacy group says children in crisis are suffering abuse because of a lack
of government resources to help them.

The Create Foundation, a non-government organisation, has released its annual report card.

It shows that as of June 2000, there'd been an 8.4 per cent jump over the previous
year in the number of children and young people taken into care.

Create Foundation national director JAN OWEN says the figure shows authorities are
struggling to cope with the needs of children requiring urgent care.

She says it's disturbing that within 12 months of going back to their families, about
20 per cent of children are forced back into state care.

Ms OWEN says that means they are subject to further abuse while the departments are
unable to care for them.

The data, covering 20,000 children and young people under state care in Australia,
has been drawn from the Australian Productivity Commission Report and the Institute of
Child and Family Welfare.

AAP RTV rad/jhm/pc/rp

KEYWORD: CHILD (BRISBANE)

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