The disappearance and slaying of Logan schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer has led to sweeping changes in how authorities respond when children in care are reported missing.
A review into Queensland Family and Child Commission protocols came in the wake of the 12-year-old's disappearance after she was dropped off at school and the discovery of her body six days later, on November 5, last year.
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Tiahleigh's death: 'we must do better'
Queensland laws will change to allow children in care to be identified quickly if they are deemed to be in grave danger. Nine News
Following the delays and confusion in how to deal with Tiahleigh's disappearance, the caregivers of children identified as missing from school would be immediately notified, whether through email or a text message. If the child was not at home, immediate steps would be taken to locate them.
Police and Child Safety could be informed at any point, through a report, which provides detailed information on the child's history.
QPS would be given the authority to decide whether an amber alert or media release needed to be issued, if they had concern for the child's safety or welfare.
The protocols, which would be implemented immediately, streamline a process which delayed, obstructed and acted counter-intuitively for children at risk. While it had been in place for years, neither Police Commissioner Ian Stewart nor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk would say whether concerns had been raised previously regarding the difficulty of the protocols, or why it took a tragedy for the system to change.
Ms Palaszczuk ordered the review five days later, following concerns regarding how government agencies exchanged information regarding Tiahleigh given her foster child status, the delays in releasing information to the media and how the child protection laws designed to work for Tiahleigh prevented those who cared for her from taking their own actions to publicise her case.
The review, handed down by Commissioner Cheryl Vardon on July 11, found there had been a delayed response when Tiahleigh was discovered missing, "and a factor in this delay was confusion about the authorisation requirements across relevant agencies for issuing a media release to seek public information into her disappearance".
Protocols which had been in place for years meant that the authorities, carers and Tiahleigh's parents could not immediately publicise her disappearance.
She was last seen when she was dropped at school by her carer on Friday, October 30, 2015, and was discovered missing at lunchtime, when she could not be found for a scheduled appointment.
The Year 7 student was reported missing to police, but the usual protocols when a child goes missing – the amber alert, the immediate release of a photo and last movements – were not released to the media because of her child-in-care status.
The following Wednesday, police officers spoke with Tiahleigh's mother, who was her legal guardian, her foster carer and Child Safety Services to obtain the signed "authority to release information" form.
Officers were given verbal approval, but could not move forward until they received signed authorisation from the director-general of the department.
That was given the following day, six days after Tiahleigh went missing.
Her body was discovered on the banks of the Pimpama River the same day the public was made aware she was missing.
The police investigation into the young girl's death is ongoing.
Tiahleigh death prompts review
The death of Logan 12-year-old Tiahleigh Palmer will spark a review of child protection laws, focusing on the rights of foster carers. Nine News
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