Australia -- FIVE years ago the Department of Community Serviceswas given $1.2 billion to rescue kids in danger, and DOCS' bureaucrats haveblown the cash.

FIVE years ago the Department of Community Services was given $1.2
billion to rescue kids in danger, and DOCS' bureaucrats have blown the cash.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599...007146,00.html

It's arguable that not a single child's life was saved by this mountain
of taxpayer funding, announced on December 18, 2002.

Drums of printer's ink have been used in recent weeks to cover harm done
to children overlooked in DOCS in-trays.

There was Shellay Ward, 7, allowed to starve to death despite the family
being on DOCS' radar for 14 years.

Other tragedies include toddler Dean Shillingsworth, found dead in a
suitcase.

Ten-month-old Missy was beaten senseless after having been subject of
multiple DOCS reports. Another child, Emily, 3, was bashed to death by
her mother's boyfriend.

These shameful incidents are reason enough for a royal commission - then
there is the squandering of $1.2 billion.

Bureaucrats used the money to create a paper-shuffling behemoth which
did little more than process the blizzard of reports churning through
its mandatory reporting system.

This vast Soviet bloc-style snooping operation seems incapable of saving
the kids who really need help.

The Ombudsman has reported that, Between December 1, 2002 and December
30, 2003, there were 121 deaths of children known to DOCS. That's a
death rate of 9.31 children a month.

In 2004, 96 children in this category died and in 2005, 109. In 2006,
114 died, a rate of 9.5 a month, more than in 2003.

Its Victorian equivalent was linked to just 18 deaths last financial year.

Former Childrens Court magistrate Barbara Holborow is stumped as to how
DOCS could blow $1.2 billion.

"That's a bloody good question - where did it go? I hope we get a royal
commission so we can find out. Throwing billions of dollars at DOCS
doesn't make it work," she said.

Under NSW law, teachers, nurses, doctors, childcare workers and anyone
else who works with children must report any child at "risk of harm".

Hold back on a report and there's the risk of a $22,000 fine under the
Children and Young Perons (Care and Protection) Act 1998.

Reports flood in at the rate of 750 a day, including trivial warnings
such as a student at school without lunch or a toddler spanked in a
supermarket.

But among them are serious matters, like a child with a drug-dependent
mother suffering abuse in a violent home.

As a result of this mandatory reporting system, report numbers have
skyrocked.

In 1998-1999, DOCS received 72,800 reports on children feared to be in
harm's way.

Figures in the state budget this year estimated there would be 280,000
reports in 2006-07.

By DOCS' own numbers, 22 per cent of NSW children have been subject to a
notification.

This is absurd. The state has more notifications filed than all other
states combined.

The $1.2 billion was announced by then-community services minister
Carmel Tebbutt in 2002 after an embarrassing spate of abuse bungles.

The funding was "part of a carefully considered five-year strategy to
address deficiencies and improve service delivery by frontline workers",
Ms Tebbutt said at the time.

Much of the money went towards doubling staff numbers and office space.
Now there are 1901 DOCS caseworkers across NSW, up from 1232 four years
ago. Another 326 caseworkers are coming.

But even this battalion of staff can't keep ahead of the notification
deluge.

In his report on Wednesday, Auditor-General Peter Achterstraat confirmed
the inefficiencies in child protection.

Just 33.9 per cent of child abuse reports filed to DOCS in 2005-06 were
substantiated, requiring further intervention.

In Victoria, the figure is more than double at 69.8 per cent.

It's obvious DOCS is being swamped by baseless reports.

Child protection academic Dr Judy Cashmore said the system needed
re-evaluation.

She said, as the number of reports grew it was not surprising there were
"great difficulties being able to work out which matters are serious and
need to be in the child protection system and which ones might require
assistance but not via child protection".

In a recent submission to DOCS, experts led by Dr Frank Ainsworth argued
child protection authorities had moved beyond child abuse "to even more
ambitious goals".

They said authorities believed it was their role to guarantee a
"perfect" childhood. Yet even the most loving parents can't guarantee that.

DOCS is now acknowledging it must change direction.

A spokesman said funding more and more caseworkers was "unsustainable
for both the child protection system and the community".

He said the Wood Commission would examine the impact of mandatory
reporting and its effectiveness.

Meanwhile, bureaucrats are now preparing their next budget submission -
they are expected to demand even more money.