Download a PDF copy of Appendix C: Audit scope and method.

Download a PDF copy of Appendix B: Abbreviations, acronyms and glossary.

Download a PDF copy of Appendix A: Submissions and comments.

Longstanding data quality and system limitations continue to limit the department’s understanding of children’s needs in the out-of-home care system. Relying on an outdated data system limits the data’s accuracy, completeness and usability for placement decisions and planning.

The department’s ability to anticipate demand and plan effective service responses is also limited by the forecasting models it uses.

Covered in this section:

Meeting the needs of all children in out-of-home care remains challenging, especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and those with complex needs. 

Victoria has the highest rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out of home care across Australia and the number is still rising. There has not been much progress towards Closing the Gap targets.

The department prioritises kinship care, with the majority of placements in line with legislative and policy goals that support family connections and cultural continuity.

But Victoria’s out-of-home care system faces ongoing strain. Foster carer numbers are falling. Kinship carer availability is naturally limited because it depends on family members and children's kinship network availability and willingness to provide care.

We made 5 recommendations to address our findings. The relevant agency accepted the recommendations in full or in principle. 

What we examined

Our audit followed 2 lines of inquiry: 

1. Does the department monitor demand for and access to out-of-home care services to assess system capacity?

2. Does the department oversee out-of-home care services’ availability and sufficiency?

To answer these questions, we examined:

Download a PDF copy of Appendix E: Policy performance data.

Download a PDF copy of Appendix D: Agencies under the Policy.