Minister Washington at a parliamentary hearing in 2024. Photo: NSW Legislative Assembly.
NSW Families Minister Kate Washington was questioned about the death of a 17-month-old toddler in the state child protection system and also about foster care children moved out of hotels at a NSW parliamentary hearing on Monday (10 March).
Greens MP Sue Higginson asked the minister about a First Nations child, identified only as “ML”, who died in New England – a case that has not previously been reported in media.
“The [coronial] report was available five days ago through the Coroners Court,” Ms Higginson said.
“I understand that may now not be available because of publication orders and trying to sort things about the legality of that report. But one of the reasons stated was that there was a significant lag time between a new report from the DCJ [NSW Government child protection department] helpline and a response being completed by caseworkers. There’s an example given of that lag time. What is the quantum of under-completed responses in the New England area? Or perhaps, what have you done as the minister to try to rectify the issues that were identified in that area?”
Minister Washington replied: “Ms Higginson, I haven’t yet had an opportunity to look at the specifics in relation to the coronial inquest that you’re referring to.
“But, as I understand, there were no findings made against the department, which is not to say that we don’t have a lot to learn from every single coronial inquest involving children, either within the system or connected to us. Obviously, we’ll be taking a closer look at what those recommendations are. But I can only suspect that it was closely linked to our caseworker vacancies and the shortages and the challenges that we inherited in a system where we had caseworkers who haven’t felt valued for years walking out the door. So in response to that work, we’ve been doing an enormous amount to attract new caseworkers and to retain the caseworkers we have.”
As at Wednesday (12 March), the coronial report on the deceased First Nations toddler was not available on the NSW Coroner’s website and no further information on the 17-month-old has been published.
Minister Washington also told the hearing that most foster care children who were previously living in hotels and motels at a cost to taxpayers of up to $2 million per child had been moved into family homes.
A chronic shortage of foster carers in the state means that some children are placed in what the government calls alternative care arrangements (ACA) – which are generally hotels, motels and caravan parks.
These kids, who were taken away from their parents due to abuse or neglect, are looked after by a roster of unqualified shift workers.
“I can say that hotels and motels and unaccredited alternative care arrangements could cost upwards of $2 million a child, which is an extraordinary outlay for the poorest outcomes,” Minister Washington told the hearing.
“That was the system that we inherited, where there were more and more children being placed in these types of unaccredited emergency arrangements.
“We have been doing the work and, in a short space of time, have seen those numbers turn around by 94 per cent. This is a good-news story.”
Minister Washington announced her intention to “ban” the placement of children in hotels last year and said there were just eight children across NSW still in this form of accommodation.
“Of the 313 children that have exited the ACAs between 1 November 2023 and 19 November 2025, 104 exited to foster or kinship placements,” she said.
“That’s 104 children that were otherwise in hotels, motels and caravan parks with unaccredited providers, costing up to $2 million.
“Now 104 are with foster and kinship care in homelike environments, in stable, loving homes. One hundred and five exited to other types of emergency arrangements, 57 exited to intensive therapeutic care, 22 were self-placed [the child chose to live somewhere outside the foster care system] and 14 were restored to family.
“These are 14 children that are now living back with their families, safely, instead of in hotels, motels or caravan parks. Five exited to residential care [group homes] and six to Youth Justice.”
