Children in care are at high risk of suicide but national data is patchy

Children in out-of-home care are at a higher risk of suicide, but national data on these tragedies is inconsistent, hindering efforts to prevent them. First Nations children are disproportionately affected, and mental health screening for newly placed children is called for urgently. A review by the Australian Catholic University found that young people in care are more than three times as likely to attempt suicide compared to those not in care.

However, the lack of accessible data on these suicides makes it difficult to identify risk factors and develop targeted prevention strategies. Experts argue that the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare should compile and publish suicide data, but this would require unanimous agreement from all states and territories. Currently, some states publish suicide data for children in care, but often fail to specify whether the child was in out-of-home care.

This lack of detail prevents researchers from designing effective interventions. Data from child protection departments reveals varying numbers of child suicides in care across Australian states and territories, with some states refusing to provide information due to concerns about identifying families. The ABC attempted to gather data on child suicides in care but faced resistance from several state governments.

The National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Sue-Anne Hunter, emphasizes the need for a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to address this crisis, warning that the current fragmented data collection leads to missed opportunities for early intervention and compounds the trauma experienced by vulnerable children.