Provides comprehensive information on children who come into contact with State and Territory community service departments for protective reasons. The report contains data for 1998-99 on child protection notifications, investigations and substantiations, children on care and protection orders and children in out-of-home care. Detailed information on the characteristics of children in the child protection system is presented, specifically data on their age, sex and indigenous status. For children who were the subject of a child protection substantiation, data on the family type, the relationship of the person believed responsible and the source of notification are also included.