Australia Announces Coroner’s Inquest of Two Children in the Care of DCF

“The coronial inquests into the deaths of two children in the care of the Department of Children and Families, including a 17-year-old girl who committed suicide at a residential care home, will get under way next month.

The coroner has listed the deaths of Miss D – aged 17 – and Master K – aged six – for Darwin Magistrates Court.

Last April another baby in the care of the Department of Children and Families – aged just six months – died in Alice Springs. The NT Government has yet to release details of this baby’s death and no coronial date has been confirmed.

The baby died at Alice Springs Hospital and the Sunday Territorian understands police had been preparing a ­report for the coroner.

The department refused to comment.

Miss D died in June 2014 in Millner, while Master K died in Alice Springs last August.

Just weeks following the death of Miss D, Member for Namatjira, Alison Anderson – then with the Palmer United Party – raised the issue during Parliamentary sittings.

Ms Anderson said the child’s family had granted her permission to speak about her case in Parliament.

“When you have $8 million dollar savings that you’ve found within the Office of Children and Families and a week out from the Estimates you have a child die in your care, I think there really need to be answers,” Ms Anderson told Parliament.

The NT News previously reported on the $8 million funding slash to the Department in 2014-15 – the same year child abuse and neglect notifications were projected to increase by 30 per cent.

At the time Minister for Child Protection John Elferink said the Department had secured an additional 29,000 out-of-home care days for children despite the substantial funding cuts.

As of July 1 last year, there were around 1300 child protection investigations that had not been completed.”

 

Deaths of children in care of Department of Children and Families in the spotlight [Northern Territory 3/12/16 by Maria Billias]

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