Queensland premier confirms children in state care have slept in government offices

Queensland premier confirms children in state care have slept in government offices Mon 29 Jun 2026 at 12:20pm In short: Premier David Crisafulli has confirmed children in state care have slept in child safety offices. He says it is a "rare occurrence" that has happened both under the LNP and former Labor government. The union representing child safety officers says it is a "relatively new phenomenon". The Queensland premier has confirmed children in state care have slept in government offices but said it is a "rare occurrence". David Crisafulli was briefed after the Together Union, which represents public service workers, acknowledged over the weekend that it was aware of reports that children had slept in child safety offices. Mr Crisafulli referred to three specific incidents under the former Labor government but also conceded it had happened since the LNP came to office. "One was three children on the bayside in January 2019, three children in Mackay in October 2019, two children at Mount Gravatt in December 2023," Mr Crisafulli said. "I am told there are other incidents. I am told that this practice has been occurring for a long period of time. "I am told it's a rare occurrence. The examples that have been raised in recent times were from one region." Mr Crisafulli would not commit to it ending under his government's watch. "I can commit to fixing residential care," he said. "This has been sold to you in the media as something that has happened because of some change in the system. "I have just given you three examples dating back over seven or eight years." Mr Crisafulli suggested staff had taken in children who otherwise might have spent a night on the streets. After coming to office in October 2024, the government launched a commission of inquiry into the child safety system and has vowed to reform residential care. This includes a commitment to remove children under the age of five from residential care and a push for more adoptions. The premier said none of the incidents where children had slept in government offices had happened after the inquiry. "There is more money going into child safety than ever in the history of this state and no-one can deny that because it's in black and white," he said. 'Relatively new phenomenon' Together Union assistant secretary Dee Spink said the union was "deeply concerned" about the reports of children sleeping in offices. But she described it as a "relatively new phenomenon". "What we can say is we are aware of recent incidents in the South West region where children have to stay overnight in child safety service centres," Ms Spink said. "We're talking May and June of this year." Ms Spink said the union's members never wanted children to sleep in offices. "It shouldn't just be a rare occurrence. It should be something that never happens in our child protection system," she said.