Inquiry launched into Queensland child safety system

Fiona Alston

May 19, 2025

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On the 18 May 2025, the Queensland Government announced the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into the Child Safety System. The announcement was made in a joint statement by Premier David Crisafulli and Minister for Child Safety Amanda Camm, confirming that the Inquiry will review the effectiveness of the current child protection system and explore potential improvements.

The decision follows growing public concern after several high-profile incidents involving the mistreatment of children in care settings, including early childhood education services. These events have intensified calls from families, professionals, and advocacy groups for a thorough examination of how child safety is monitored, enforced, and improved across Queensland’s child-serving systems.

The Inquiry’s key areas under review include:

Oversight and regulation of services interacting with children
Incident reporting processes and response systems
Structural and systemic factors contributing to child protection outcomes
Coordination between agencies and organisations responsible for child safety

While the Commission’s terms of reference are broad, early childhood education and care services are among environments where children spend significant time, and where child protection policies and practices are already governed by national law.

Relevant frameworks include:

National Quality Standard (NQS) – Quality Area 2: Children’s Health and Safety
Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations – covering mandatory reporting, supervision, staffing, and operational policies
Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) v2.0 – highlights children's rights to feel safe, secure, and supported

Services across the early learning sector may look to the Inquiry’s findings for insights into how policies, reporting practices, and interagency collaboration might evolve.

The Commission is expected to deliver a report with findings and recommendations, which may inform future legislative or operational changes across child focused systems in Queensland, and potentially beyond.

Read the full media statement here.

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