A high chair so filthy it was not fit for a dog, a mould-filled fridge, faeces embedded in the floor and benches covered in dishes and old food.
That is how an ACT Housing manager described the home of a woman facing multiple charges of child neglect in the ACT Magistrates Court.
The 41-year-old woman was charged after workers reported the conditions when they were called to the home to fix a water leak.
The woman and four children were moved to a hotel while they waited for the leak to be repaired.
Court documents revealed when a housing manager and a colleague entered the house they had to wear full personal protective gear, including shoe covers and face masks.
They described "filthy" conditions, which also included dirty mattresses and bedrooms full of rubbish, as well as a laundry so full of clothes there was no access to the backyard.
In the court materials, the manager described the conditions as the worst she had seen in 20 years as a front line worker.
The woman is also charged with failing to register a dog and failing to notify a change of registration, in relation to two dogs found in the backyard.
Rangers removed the animals from the home after offering the dogs food which they said they ate "like there was no tomorrow".
Weeks later, police said they carried out a search of the hotel rooms where the family had been staying.
Court documents revealed both rooms were in a similar condition to the house, with faeces spread on walls, rotting food and medication spread on the beds beside children's toys.
Child protection workers removed two of the children from the woman's care and police charged her with neglect.
Initially, the woman was banned from speaking to her children, but the ACT Magistrates Court has reversed that decision, allowing her to see the children by special arrangement and under strict supervision.
The woman will be back in court today.
