Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm has emerged from a week of silence to dispute allegations that children have been forced to sleep on the floors of government offices. The claims, initially reported by a union, suggest that vulnerable children in the state's care have been housed on air mattresses at Toowoomba and Ipswich West child safety service centres in recent months.
The minister contends that departmental staff typically have arrangements to place children with third-party providers, kinship carers, or foster families. Camm also dismissed suggestions that the state has ceased funding for service providers, clarifying that certain contracts simply were not renewed upon their expiration. This statement arrives a full week after the initial reports surfaced.
Opposition Calls for Investigation, Government Acknowledges Past Practices
Opposition MPs, including shadow treasurer Shannon Fentiman, have called for an investigation into the department, questioning whether its duty of care has been breached. The controversy intensified as it was revealed that the state's new child safety IT system, 'Unify', has experienced a "bungled rollout."
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Former Premier David Crisafulli confirmed that such practices, while rare, had occurred under his LNP government, stating they were typically a last resort in the early morning hours when no other options were available. The union had reportedly raised concerns about the sleeping arrangements with the government as early as June 10.
Audit Fast-Tracks Probe of Troubled IT System
The scrutiny over the sleeping arrangements coincides with the Queensland Audit Office accelerating its investigation into the troubled $188 million 'Unify' child safety IT system. The audit, originally slated for the 2027-28 financial year, has been brought forward to assess the system's implementation following its go-live in April 2025 and subsequent challenges identified in a December 2025 review. The 'Unify' system, intended to streamline information sharing among agencies and service providers since its inception in 2015, is now under particular pressure.
