Removals of infants by the child protection system: examining their nature, extent and impact

(1)

Removals of infants by the

child protection system:

examining their nature,

extent and impact

(2)

Children Receiving Child Protection

Services - Australia

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 pe r 1000 c hildr en Year AIHW, 2019

(3)

Infants (< 1 yr) as a proportion of all OOHC

entries (trends) % (National data: AIHW)

3 |

2007-8 2008-9 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 Proportion of all entries 16.5 16 17.1 16.8 17.4 17.4 19.9 18.4 19 19.4 18.8

0 5 10 15 20 25

(4)

AIHW, 2019 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 Children admitted to OOHC<=7 days Children admitted to OOHC<=31 days

Children admitted to OOHC < 366 days

Number of infants admitted to OOHC

(AIHW national data)

(5)

Indigenous and non-Indigenous children

admitted to OOHC: Number per 1,000

National data as at 30 June 2018 (AIHW 2019)

5 | < 1 1 to 4 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 to 17 Indigenous 41.6 13.5 9.6 10.5 9 Non-Indigenous 4.6 1.5 1.1 1.1 1 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 Indigenous Non-Indigenous

(6)

Number Indigenous and

non-Indigenous children

reported prenatally

National data as at 30 June 2018

6 | 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 Indigenous 1194 1239 1312 1529 1532 1475 Non-Indigenous 1743 1869 1890 2145 2193 1550 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 Indigenous Non-Indigenous

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

Mental

Health

Family

violence

Substance

Use

(11)

Mental

Health

Family

violence

Substance

Use

Colonisation

(12)

Western Australian – Linked Data (1990-2015)

Health Department

Birth Registrations Midwives Notifications

Hospital Morbidity Data Collection Death Registrations

Mental Health Information System Birth Defects

Intellectual Disability

Department for Communities

Child Protection and Family Support Data

Justice Department

Corrective Services and Courts Data

Education Department

High school completion certificate Australian Early Development Census

School achievement (Y3, 5, 7, 9) Attendance and suspensions

(13)

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 Year pe r 10 ,0 00 l iv e bi rt hs

Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome - WA

(14)

NWS: International comparisons

(15)

Variable Adjusted OR* (95% CI)

Mental health contact Non-Aboriginal

3.0 (2.8-3.2)

Aboriginal 2.0 (1.7-2.2) Perinatal mental health

contact 3.4 (3.2 – 3.6)

Child Maltreatment Allegation Risk

Mothers – Mental Health contact

*Adjusted for child gender, marital status, parental age at birth, level

of disadvantage, child disability, mother assault admission, housing issues.

(16)

Mental health and Substance-related

disorders

(17)

Trends in prenatal reporting by jurisdiction

(AIHW data)

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200

NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT

(18)

Infant Removals by remoteness

O’Donnell, et al, 2019 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 1 (Urban) 2 3 4 5 (Very Remote) Pe rc en ta ge Remoteness Aboriginal non-Aboriginal

(19)

Children of care cohort

Pregnancy (client system data)

Ø28% of the Care group females had a baby (that could be identified

through child protection records). Children of care group

513 children (100%) 287 mothers 72% Notified 40% Substantiated 24% in Care

(20)

20 |

AIMS:

To increase our knowledge about the nature, extent and impact of the removal of infants (< 1 year old) and newborns (<31 days old) from their mothers.

RESEARCHERS:

Assoc Prof Stephanie Taplin (NSW)

Dr Melissa O’Donnell & Prof Rhonda Marriott (Aboriginal health and wellbeing) (WA)

Prof Karen Broadhurst (UK); Dr Fred Wulczyn (USA)

(21)

National Child Protection Minimum Dataset

- Prenatal reports

- Allegations

- Orders (2 year and 18 year protection orders)

- Out-of-home care and reunifications

Individual data for all states

National data

(22)

Infants involved in child protection proceedings

•

Characteristics and histories of women whose infants were removed from their care, including previous child removals • _{Extent and nature of services and interventions provided to}

mothers and infants

• Child protection system involvement of the infants removed at birth

• _{Decision-making in relation to removals of infants across NSW} and WA

(23)

•

Interviews with mothers: factors involved, impact of

processes, support, recommendations for improving

processes and support

•

Focus groups with service providers:

support

provided, barriers and enablers to outcomes,

recommendations.

(24)

24

Development of Pre-birth Guidelines and Ethical

Removal Processes

•

Evidence will be used to develop

pre-birth guidelines

for working with vulnerable mothers and improve

safety and optimise health outcomes for infants.

•

Develop international ethical

removal processes

.

•

International Network on Infants, Toddlers and Child

Protection

– led by Harriet Ward (Oxford University)

and Fred Wulczyn (Uni of Chicago)

(25)

Acknowledgements

Chief Investigators and Co-authors

Prof Stephanie Taplin Prof Rhonda Marriott

Dr Miriam Maclean Carol Orr Scott Sims

Western Australian Data Linkage Branch

Industry Partners –

This presentation does not

necessarily reflect the views of the Government

Departments

Department of Health

Department of Communities

Department of Justice

Department of Treasury

Department of Training and Workforce Development

Department of the Premier and Cabinet

Department of Education

Removals of infants by the child protection system: examining their nature, extent and impact