A system that rewards residential care
providers for keeping beds full is increasing the risk of sexual abuse
by placing vulnerable young children with older ones, the child sex
abuse royal commission has heard.
In its response to the
commission’s consultation on out-of- home care, Anglicare Victoria has
argued the system allows children to be placed with others considerably
older and of the opposite sex. “Given children and young people in
residential care typically have complex issues to resolve, the risks
associated with large age differences and mixed gender placements are
heightened, particularly when children and young people are known to
have perpetrated sexual abuse in the past,” it said.http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/royal-commission/push-to-fill-beds-puts-kids-in-care-at-risk/news-story/2e11570b3dab9e9e2fbb18eb62e0266a