Initiatives

The Sibling Kinship Carer Initiative seeks to reform policies and practices for kinship sibling carers within the out of home care system. Sibling carers—both formal and informal—play a critical role in providing stability, cultural continuity and emotional support. Yet, current frameworks often overlook their unique contributions and challenges, letting sibling kinship carers fall between the cracks.

The Preventative Peaks Alliance was established in 2024 as a collaborative initiative among the leading statewide peak bodies in Queensland. The Alliance was formed in recognition of persistent challenges being navigated by Queensland children, young people, individuals, families and communities, including fragmented supports, underinvestment in early and preventative services and the overrepresentation of vulnerable cohorts in statutory and intensive support systems such as child protection, housing, disability and youth justice.

While the number of children and young people entering out-of-home care across Australia has remained steady in recent years, there has been a steep decline in the number of new and active foster carers.

On 18 May 2025, the Queensland Government announced an independent Commission of Inquiry into Queensland’s child safety system, to investigate how the system has been functioning and to identify whether it has been providing adequate care. The Inquiry will also consider the future needs of the system and aims to recommend practical, evidence-based reforms to the Queensland child safety system.