Moving a child to a safe place

A child safety officer or police officer can move a child to a safe place in the following circumstances:

• the child is under 12 years of age
• a parent or other member of the child's family is not present and cannot be located
• a child is not safe but this is not a result of child protection issues.

The officer must move the child to a safe place or make arrangements for another reliable person to move them to a safe place where they can remain until they can return to the care of the parents or a family member.

A safe place can be:

• the home of a neighbour who knows the child and parents
• the home of a relative or friend
• the child's family day care provider
• a hospital
• an approved foster placement
• a child safety service centre
• a police station.