Disconnected, Unprotected

The ‘DISCONNECTED, UNPROTECTED: What happened to the best interest of the child?’ inquiry report examined the experiences of 19 of Western Australia’s most vulnerable children, all of whom had been placed in Kath French Secure Care Centre three or more times between 2020 and 2025.

It followed their journey through out-of-home care to understand their experiences, the decisions made about their care, and how the child protection system responded to their needs.

The report identifies 50 findings and makes 56 recommendations designed to assist the Department of Communities and the Western Australian Government to take action to improve the outcomes for children and young people in the out of home care system.