Tracking of Child Abuse and Neglect in Australia's Early Education Settings

Question

Senator O'SULLIVAN: Can I ask a question in relation to the tracking of child abuse and neglect in Australia's early education settings. How does the government track child abuse and neglect that occurs in ECEC settings across the country? Mr Cook: That wouldn't be our portfolio. It's likely to be Attorney-General's, but I will check. Ms Crane: We wouldn't have any data on that. Senator O'SULLIVAN: Because it's a criminal issue? Mr Cook: It's the AFP, I would imagine, and potentially Attorney-General's, around the work that they do. I'm happy to take that on notice, but it's not something that our portfolio is responsible for. Senator O'SULLIVAN: It's a genuine question, not a criticism. Mr Cook: I know. Senator O'SULLIVAN: I'm just curious that you wouldn't track its prevalence in a system that you have jurisdiction over. Mr Cook: If you're talking about criminal offence and stuff like that, that wouldn't be something that we'd be doing, no.

Answer

Please see the attached PDF.

Documents

• Question with answer (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• SQ26-000699.pdf (opens in a new tab)