Call for submissions – youth justice and corporate parenting

The Commission is calling for submissions about corporate parenting and the link between the child safety and youth justice systems.

Read the call for submissions   (PDF, 165.5 KB)

Corporate parenting:

This means when the State or Government takes on the role of 'parent' for a child. That is, when a child has been removed from their parent or family, and is subject to a Child Protection Order. As 'corporate parent' in this way, the Government has many of the same responsibilities that an individual parent does.

It takes a community of people to raise a child. The Government cannot physically 'parent' a child. This means that, as 'corporate parent' for children in State care, the Government fulfills these 'corporate parenting' responsibilities through the many other people in the child safety system – such as foster and kinship carers.

The Commission wants to better understand how the Queensland Government fulfils these responsibilities as 'corporate parent', to ensure the best for Queensland children and the community.

The link between the child safety system and the youth justice system:

Of the number of children in Queensland's youth justice system, a disproportionately high number are in State care.  The reason for this is not clear.

The Commission therefore wants to better understand any link between the youth justice system and the child safety system.

Make a submission

Who can make a submission?

Anyone can make a submission to the Commission of Inquiry.

On these topics, the Commission wants to hear from you, if you are:

• a residential (non-family-based) care worker, foster carer or kinship carer – and you have worked with or cared for youth offenders or children in the youth justice system
• a child or young person in out-of-home care and you have also been in the youth justice system – this includes if you are or have been in any type of care, including family-based (such as foster and kinship) and non-family-based (residential) care
• a child or young person in out-of-home care and you have met or interacted with other young people who are in both the youth justice system and in out-of-home care – this includes how these young people have affected your time being in out-of-home care
• a community member who has been a victim of crime at the hands of a young person in out-of-home care
• a community member who has been negatively affected by children or young people in residential (non-family-based) care in your neighbourhood.

What should I include in my submission?

In your submission, you should share your personal experience, as it relates to the the topics above.

On the matters of corporate parenting and the youth justice system, the Commission particularly wants to better understand:

• Is the Department an effective corporate parent?
• As a corporate parent, is the Department meeting community expectations about parenting, particularly for children and young people who are
  • in residential (non-family-based) care?
  • in out-of-home care and are known to both the child safety system and the youth justice system?
  • transitioning out of youth detention into care?
  • transitioning out of care into adulthood?
• Is there a link between the child safety system and the youth justice system?
• If there is a link between the child safety system and the youth justice system, what is that link?
• Do elements of the child safety system operate as a 'feeder system' to the youth justice system?
• What are the factors contributing to children in care entering the youth justice system?
• People's experiences of communication, engagement, and information sharing between Government Departments and entities, where they relate to children in both the child safety system and the youth justice system.

All submissions help the Commission to better understand the problems with the child safety system, and to make suggestions to improve the system in the future.

Make a submission