Dozens of vulnerable children were deemed not at risk by Victoria’s child protection system. They are now dead

In 2025, 75% of all reports received by child protection were about children who had been reported before. Photograph: Alex Linch/Alamy

Victoria’s most at-risk children are falling through the cracks of a child protection system straining under increased demand and funding shortfalls, new reports show, as advocates warn of “stunning” gaps in data and lack of carer support.

The state’s commissioner for children and young people has also raised the alarm about cycles of ineffective referrals to voluntary services, and closed reports in 35 cases of children who died after interactions with the system.