The national incidence of child abuse and neglect has risen over the past year resulting in the continuous growth of children and young people in foster and kinship care. National figures on child abuse and neglect released today indicate that the system is still not getting it right for children and young people at risk across the country.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s (AIHW) report Child Protection Australia 2010–11 showed that the number of child abuse substantiations sits in excess of 31,000 cases in 2010-11. Many children and young people enter care through no fault of their own every year due to abuse and neglect.  The report states the number of children and young people in out-of-home care rose by 5% in the last year with the total number of children and young people in care at 37,000. Of particular concern is the continued over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in the system with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children 10 times as likely to be in out-of-home care. Read full details at http://www.create.org.au/news/view/129.