The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released its latest report on child protection in Australia.

Child Protection Australia 2007–08 reports that Aboriginal and Torres Strait are still over-represented in the child protection system, with more subject to substantiation and placed in out-of-home care than other Australian children.

However, the data also does not indicate any significant increase in child protection notifications leading to substantiation or children placed in out-of-home care amongst Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. This is notable considering the data covers the first year of the Federal Government's NT Emergency Intervention that was initiated on the grounds of tackling child sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities in the Territory.

According to the AIHW report, in 2007-08, there were 317,526 child protection notifications recorded nationally, which is an increase of 3% from the number of notifications recorded in 2006-07 (309,448 notifications), and a 207% increase on the number of notifications recorded in 1998-99 (103,302 notifications).

Nationally, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were 6 times more likely to be the subject of a substantiation than other children.

2007–2008 also saw a 16% increase in the number of children placed on care and protection orders and in out-of-home care from the previous year. There were 34,279 children on a care and protection at 30 June 2008.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were over 7 times more likely to be placed on a care and protection order.

At 30 June 2008, there were 31,166 children in out-of-home care. This is an increase of 10% on the year prior. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are  also nearly 9 times more likely to be in out-of-home care than other children.

The report, Child Protection Australia 2007–08, is available for download or order from the AIHW website.