Hopeline Phones in Residential Care

It has been more than 20 years since the Mullighan Inquiry exposed decades of abuse in state care, yet the problems have not gone away. The most recent Productivity Commission data shows a disturbing trend: in South Australia, children in care who were the subject of a substantiation of sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, or neglect rose from:

2021–22 - 156 children (2.9%)

2022–23 - 171 children (3.1%)

2023–24 - 231 children (4.2%)

Sexual assaults in care are still being reported in the media, with cases of pregnancies making headlines. The system is failing to protect those it is meant to safeguard.

This is why Hopeline Phones are a must. The idea is simple but powerful: tamper-proof, fixed-line phones installed in every residential care home, giving children an independent, direct line to raise the alarm, call for help, or simply talk to someone they trust. Unlike mobile phones that can be confiscated or monitored, Hopeline Phones ensure children’s voices cannot be silenced. It is about accountability, dignity, and empowering the most vulnerable to speak up.

Right now, the most vulnerable children in our society — those living in residential care — are also the least able to access services like Kids Helpline. Many have no safe, reliable way to reach out when they are in danger or distress. That gap leaves them voiceless, trapped in a system that too often compounds their trauma rather than easing it. Hopeline Phones close that gap by ensuring that every child in care has a guaranteed line to safety.

In Hammond, we know the value of family and community. What is happening in child protection does not align with our values. Too many families in hardship — including some in this community — have seen their children taken into the system, only for those children to endure worse conditions than at home. That is unacceptable. If the state cannot guarantee safety in care, then it must at least provide children with the tools to protect themselves.

This policy is not about blame — it is about change. Installing Hopeline Phones is a practical safeguard that says clearly: we will not look the other way. It is time South Australia led the nation in protecting children in care. Hammond should stand for nothing less.