Overview

• The Minderoo Foundation–Front Project analysis estimates late intervention now costs $22.3 billion a year, up 47% since 2019 and equivalent to $838 per Australian, with growth far outpacing inflation and population.
• The report defines late intervention as spending on statutory, acute and essential services provided when children or young people are already in crisis.
• Child protection accounts for the largest share at $10.2 billion after a 72% rise since 2019, while spending on family violence has more than doubled.
• Youth crime and unemployment are identified as the second and third most costly components, with the annual burden equating to $2,704 for each person aged 0–24.
• Authors call for earlier, coordinated investment, better transparent data and cross-sector partnerships, noting states bear short‑term costs while the Commonwealth stands to gain long‑term fiscal benefits.