More children need protection - report

The federal government's extended child care safety net program will do "more lifting" to help vulnerable children, after new figures pointed to a rise in the number needing protection.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found an extra 8000 kids received child protection services in Australia in 2013/14 compared to the year before.

Social services minister Scott Morrison says additional funding of $327.7 million for the child care safety net program over four years will assist the vulnerable.

"There are no means tests on that support. When you have a child at risk, that's the most important thing," Mr Morrison said in Sydney on Thursday.

"There is existing funding that deals with this to a degree (and) these programs through the child care safety net that we're announcing today would further extend that support.

"It will be doing more lifting to support children at risk in absolutely deplorable conditions."

The AIHW figures show a rise of six per cent, to 143,000, of children aged 0 to 17 who received child protection in 2013/14.

That means one in 37 children had contact with one or more of the three components of the system: an investigation, care and protection order and/or placement in out-of-home care.

Almost three-quarters, or 73 per cent, of all children involved in the child protection system were repeat clients in 201314, says AIHW spokesperson Justine Boland.