Child safety processes to be toughened

QUEENSLAND’S blue card and foster care systems will be strengthened following a review that was sparked by the death of Logan schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says.

A review of the overall child safety system was delivered to the government in April and recommended an increase in funding and staff for the child safety department.

Ms Palaszczuk said the government had already delivered on those in the state budget.

“My government has put in an unprecedented investment, $200 million, to ensure we can get more frontline services out there helping the families that are going through high needs and crisis situation,” she said.

Two other reviews into the blue card and foster care systems, sparked by Tiahleigh’s death, were handed down in July.

All three reports were released publicly yesterday.

Ms Palaszczuk said ongoing court matters prevented her from commenting specifically on Tiahleigh’s case, including whether the recommendations would have prevented her death, but said in general they would make the system stronger.

“Everybody is concerned about what happened to (Tiahleigh),” she said. “But by putting in more robust measures, by accepting all the recommendations, we are doing everything we possibly can.”

Tiahleigh’s foster father Rick Thorburn was charged with her murder and foster brother Trent Thorburn charged with incest, after the body of the 12-year-old was found on the banks of the Pimpama River in November 2015.

The expert panel made more than 100 recommendations across the foster care and blue card reports, including greater scrutiny of potential applicants for blue cards and moving the system entirely online. The government has accepted all of the recommendations.