CHILDREN IN CARE — WHEREABOUTS UNKNOWN
350. Hon NICK GOIRAN to the Leader of the House representing
the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the minister's
answer to my question without notice 292, asked on 5 April 2022, in which the
house was informed that seven children in the care of the CEO were recorded in
the placement type ''unknown'', and that one had been reported to
WA Police Force as missing.
(1) Have these children been found?
(2) For how many days have each of
the children had their whereabouts recorded as ''unknown''?
(3) How many
other children are in the care of the CEO whose whereabouts are currently
recorded as ''unknown''; and how many have been reported to WA Police
as a missing person?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The
child reported as missing as at 5 April 2022 and reported to the WA Police
Force was located on 12 April 2022, but further absconded and has been reported
missing with the WA Police Force since 22 April 2022. One child has remained in
the same continuous unknown placement for 135 days. The Department of
Communities remains in contact with this child. The other five children are no
longer in a placement type ''unknown''.
There is currently a child who was not accounted for in the previous response
who has been in placement type ''unknown'' for 39 days. This
child had their placement type updated to ''unknown'' on 6 April
2022. Communities remains in contact with this child.
(3) As of 10 May
2022, there are five children recorded in the placement type ''unknown''.
Four of those children are in contact with the Department of Communities and
one has been reported to the WA Police Force as missing.