Queensland child safety death toll surges by 60 per cent in a year
The number of Queensland children known to child safety who have died has increased by almost 60 per cent in a year, according to a new report. The Queensland Family and Child Commission's annual report revealed 91 children known to the child protection system died in the 2025–26 financial year.
A recent report has revealed a concerning increase in the number of Queensland children known to child safety who have died. The Queensland Family and Child Commission's annual report showed that 452 children died in the state in the 2025–26 financial year.
Preliminary figures revealed 91 of those children were known to the child protection system. This is an increase of 59.6 per cent on the previous year, when 57 children known to child safety died. It is also the highest number of children known to the child protection system to have died in five years.
The commission is responsible for recording and maintaining a register of child deaths in the state. The report said the child death prevention team identified that recording the school the deceased child was enrolled in would make it easier to identify systemic issues, examine patterns and strengthen future prevention work.
This recommendation remained under consideration by the State Coroner at the end of the reporting period,
the review, released on Friday, said.
Concerning patterns
The number of child deaths from natural causes was 312 in the 2025–26 financial year, while the number from external causes including transport incidents or non-intentional injury-related deaths was 94.
The register showed quad bikes continued to present significant risks to children living in or visiting rural communities. It also identified a concerning pattern of deaths involving severe nutritional deficiencies associated with highly restricted diets.
Analysis found in some cases children had diets almost exclusively of cow's milk,
the report said.
We referred these findings to the State Coroner and Queensland Health, recommending further investigation and consideration of system responses,
the report said.
Both agencies responded by progressing further work to better understand the issue and identify opportunities for prevention,
the report added.
The preliminary data also revealed 102 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child deaths have been recorded, compared to 88 deaths in the year before.
Labor opposition leader Steven Miles said the state's child protection system was in crisis.
There are now more children in residential care and more children known to child safety who have tragically died on [the Child Safety] Minister Amanda Camm's watch,
he said in a statement.
In June, a report by the state's Commission of Inquiry into Child Safety made 52 recommendations to the government to address what it called serious failures. The state government accepted 32 and accepted a further 16 in principle.