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ALMOST a quarter of the 400-plus children who died in 2023 were known to the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) , but most deaths were not attributable to child protection issues. Login or signup to continue reading Of the 409 registered deaths of children throughout NSW in 2023, 96 were known to the department because they, and/or their siblings had been reported as being at risk of significant harm during the three years leading up to their death, or they were in out-of-home care when they died. The three most common circumstances of those deaths were illness and disease, transport accidents, and sudden unexpected death in infancy. However, seven children died by suicide or suspected suicide and six babies known to the department died in circumstances related to their premature birth. Five children died from inflicted or suspicious injuries, including three infants. The circumstances of the deaths of six more children remain undetermined, according to details contained in the Child Deaths 2023 Annual Report tabled in Parliament shortly before Christmas. Physical abuse, domestic and family violence and physical neglect were the most frequently reported concerns for the children who died in 2023 and were known to DCJ. Most of the children who died in 2023 were reported for multiple types of harm, including, for 31 of those children, medical neglect, parental mental health, and the child's risk-taking behaviour. The report highlights that extreme disadvantage, whether due to poverty, past injustice, discrimination, trauma, lack of access to services, unemployment, homelessness or social isolation, are clearly linked to child abuse and neglect. "Often, families live with the impacts of problematic parents' substance abuse, unaddressed mental health issues, and domestic and family violence, all of which can place children at risk," the report says. Together those factors led to many of the risk of significant harm reports made about children in NSW. "Children in NSW with a child protection history have a higher mortality rate than those not reported to DCJ and account for a greater relative proportion of the children who die from certain causes in NSW," the report says. Of the 96 children who died in 2023, DCJ did a face-to-face assessment before their death for 53 families. The other families were not seen either because the child was in out-of-home care and there had been no reports since they entered care; a decision was not made before the child's death; the child and their family had been referred to a non-government service provider for support; or reports said support was already in place. In some cases, however, capacity issues prevented the allocation of a report. Of the 12 children who died in car accidents, aged between four and 17, there was evidence of risk-taking behaviour by the driver or passengers that was likely to have contributed to the accident in "many" of them, the report said. Those risks included driving at high speeds, dangerous driving, driving a stolen car, being chased by another car, or driving unlicensed or under-age. "For many of the children who died in a transport accident, their risk-taking behaviour had been reported to DCJ, and review had identified the need to work in collaboration with other services to understand the child's experiences and needs." Six of the children who died by suicide in 2023 were reported to DCJ regarding risk of harm issues including physical and sexual abuse, parental drug or alcohol abuse, poor mental health and domestic violence. Of the babies who died in circumstances related to extreme prematurity, it was difficult to draw links between a mother's drug use or experience of violence and a premature birth, the report said. However, those experiences were associated with poor pregnancy outcomes for vulnerable pregnant women. Charges had been laid over the deaths of three out of the five children who died from suspicious or inflicted injuries, while the other two remain under police investigation. The Minister for Families and Communities and Port Stephens MP, Kate Washington, said the report underscored the ongoing commitment of the government to reform the child protection system to better support the children and families it served. "The death of a child under any circumstance is heartbreaking and I extend my deepest sympathies to the families and communities who knew and loved these children," Ms Washington said. "Since coming into government we've been acting urgently to fix the broken child protection system we inherited. "Earlier this month, I released an important review into out-of-home care which offers an important roadmap for this reform. We've already found safe homes for over 800 children by hiring 200 emergency foster carers after the former government stopped recruiting." Other measures taken include banning the use of unauthorised emergency accommodation for vulnerable kids, such as hotels and motels, and increasing caseworker pay to attract and retain caseworkers. "But we know there's still more to do," Ms Washington said. The report outlines a number of other initiatives that have taken place or are underway, including a new 'system reform division' created within DCJ in 2024; and child protection helpline reforms to make it easier to identify and assess multiple reports about the same children. In 2024-25 the state government has budgeted to expand its role as a foster care provider, ramp up recruitment of urgently needed long-term foster carers, and increase government-delivered residential care. Community health & welfare, social justice, investigations, general news.Gabriel.Fowler@newcastleherald.com.au Community health & welfare, social justice, investigations, general news.Gabriel.Fowler@newcastleherald.com.au DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. 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