Breakdown of In?Home Care Placements and Applications

Question

Senator O'SULLIVAN: Thank you for providing some answers in relation to this, through the letter that was sent by the deputy chair; we've been able to go through that this morning. Of the 3,200 in-home care places available, only 773 places were used as of December 2025. Is that correct? Ms Crane: Yes, I can confirm that's correct. Senator O'SULLIVAN: Can you break that down by jurisdiction. Ms O'Connor: We can take that on notice. Senator O'SULLIVAN: Can you provide a breakdown of how many are single parent households; regional, rural and remote families; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children; children with disability or medical complexity; and children in child protection or out-of-home care? Ms Crane: We'll take that on notice, and we may be able to do some of those things. Certainly, the primary reason for eligibility, in terms of geographically isolated or dual needs-we will have that. For some of that data that you're referring to, we may not hold it or it may be so small that it actually identifies an individual. We'll take on notice what we can do, and break that up for you. Senator O'SULLIVAN: To the extent that it would be helpful, if there are other categories that I might have actually missed-whatever you'd normally use to break that down. That would be helpful. Of the 708 families that were on the waitlist as of December 2025, how many have been awaiting a place for two months or more? Ms O'Connor: We'd have to take that on notice, but there are a range of different reasons why families are on the waitlist. Senator O'SULLIVAN: Can you get me two months or more, six months or more, 12 months or more and 18 months or more. Ms O'Connor: We'll take that on notice. Senator O'SULLIVAN: In doing that, can you also provide a breakdown of places used for the last five financial years as well as the number of applications the department received for in-home care in each of the previous five years. I presume that's something you'll have to take on notice. Ms Crane: Yes. Just to confirm, when you say applications for in-home care, are you talking about what the in-home care agency would receive to assess, not applications from providers to reallocate places? Senator O'SULLIVAN: Yes, correct-from families. Mr Cook: They don't come to us, of course, so we'll just have to go and get them from the providers. Senator O'SULLIVAN: If you're able to, in answering that, could you tell me how many applications in those years were approved but not utilised. Ms O'Connor: We will take that on- Ms Crane: We will see what we can get for you on that. Senator O'SULLIVAN: I understand your response, but is that because you don't collect that? Mr Cook: We don't keep the data, I would imagine. Senator O'SULLIVAN: My presumption may be incorrect-that if someone applies, they get approved. But I'm interested in how many were unfilled because they couldn't find a carer to assist them. Ms Crane: We understand what you're trying to get to with the question. The eligibility assessments are done through the in-home care agency, so, in terms of getting the data, we will go through the in-home care agency to get that. I can say that, for at least the time I've been in this role and probably even prior to that, the vast majority of those that are on a waiting list are generally there for the reason that you're referring to-they haven't been able to find an educator. But we will see what we can get out of the in-home care agencies just in terms of having been assessed as eligible but never having taken up a place- Senator O'SULLIVAN: That's what I'm hearing, so I'm just wanting to quantify it to actually get a grasp of what the gap is. In answering that, can you tell me how many approved families are currently waiting for in-home care but are unable to access a provider? Then, what is the average time taken for a family to be matched with an in-home care educator-preferably by jurisdiction, if that doesn't identify people? Has a briefing been provided to the minister for the cause of any backlog on the in-home care waiting list? Ms Crane: I'm not sure I'd characterise it as a backlog. Generally, and not to be pedantic about it, a backlog for us would be-a claim process would be a good example: you can process something and you get an outcome at the end of it. All of the assessments have been done. The identification of an educator in that context wouldn't be a backlog. In terms of briefings and things like that, across all of the programs and policy areas that we have responsibility for, we provide advice, briefings and information to the minister and ministers' offices, so, in that context, there will have been information provided about that. Certainly, every estimates, when we are preparing to come in here, the information for those questions around how many people are on a waiting list or are actually accessing the program itself is the standard information that we come into these sessions with as well. Senator O'SULLIVAN: So how many people are on the waiting list now? Ms O'Connor: It's the figure that you quoted earlier. Ms Crane: 708. Ms O'Connor: Yes. There are 708 currently. Senator O'SULLIVAN: Are on the waiting list? Ms Crane: On the waiting list. Senator O'SULLIVAN: Has the minister's office requested a briefing on the waiting list and what the reasons are? Ms Crane: I'd have to take on notice whether those specifics have been asked as per my- Senator O'SULLIVAN: You've come here today ready to answer it, but I'm just asking if that's come from the minister as well. Ms Crane: If you're asking about the granularity of what sits under the waiting list, I'd have to take that on notice. As I said, certainly in terms of the broader program, I'd refer to my earlier answer on how many people are on the waiting list.

Answer

Please see the attached PDF.

Documents

• Question with answer (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• SQ26-000688.pdf (opens in a new tab)