❓ Hon Maryka Groenewald asks for data on children in foster care in WA, disaggregated by length of time in care and number of placements between September and December 2025. The Minister provides the requested data in tabular form.

I refer to children in foster care in Western Australia, and I ask, for the period between 1 September 2025 and 31 December 2025, please provide, in tabular form, the number of children in foster care, disaggregated by:(a) the length of time spent in care, namely:(i) less than 30 days;(ii) 30 days to less than 6 months;(iii) 6 months to less than 1 year;(iv) 1 year to less than 2 years;(v) 2 years to less than 5 years; and(vi) 5 years or more; and(b) the number of different homes in which the child was placed, namely:(i) one home;(ii) two homes;(iii) three homes;(iv) four homes; and(v) five or more homes?

(a) (i – vi) The following table shows the length of care arrangement for the 5,208 children in care on 31 December 2025. Length of Time in Care Total Less than 30 days 55 30 days to less than 6 months 266 6 months to less than 1 year 306 1 year to less than 2 years 673 2 years to less than 5 years 1,276 5 or more years 2,632 Total 5,208 Length of Time in Care Total Less than 30 days 55 30 days to less than 6 months 266 6 months to less than 1 year 306 1 year to less than 2 years 673 2 years to less than 5 years 1,276 5 or more years 2,632 Total 5,208 (b) (i – v) Of the 5,208 children in care on 31 December 2025, there have been 5,010 children who have been in care for the whole period between 1 September 2025 and 31 December 2025. The following table shows these children by the number of distinct care arrangements over this period. Number of Distinct Care Arrangements Total One Distinct Care Arrangement 4,287 Two Distinct Care Arrangements 449 Three Distinct Care Arrangements 138 Four Distinct Care Arrangements 60 Five or more Distinct Care Arrangements 76 Total number of children in care for the whole period between 1 September 2025 and 31 December 2025. 5,010 Number of Distinct Care Arrangements Total One Distinct Care Arrangement 4,287 Two Distinct Care Arrangements 449 Three Distinct Care Arrangements 138 Four Distinct Care Arrangements 60 Five or more Distinct Care Arrangements 76 Total number of children in care for the whole period between 1 September 2025 and 31 December 2025. 5,010