Review all child protection files: SA oppn

A state Liberal government in South Australia would reopen thousands of child protection cases within its first 100 days.

Opposition child protection spokeswoman Rachel Sanderson says she would introduce comprehensive reforms to Families SA if a Liberal government is elected at the 2018 election.

The agency has been the subject of more than half a dozen inquiries since 2002 which have revealed major failings of vulnerable children.

Inquests into the high-profile neglect deaths of Chloe Valentine and baby Ebony revealed that Families SA closed their case files despite evidence they were at risk from their parents.

"The amount of money we spend on cold cases of murders, yet we just shut the case of a child who's still alive, who's still in danger," Ms Sanderson told AAP.

"Within my first 100 days, it would be at the top of my list that myself and a team would go through all of those files.

"I couldn't bear it if a child died on my watch because my department had shut a case."

Ms Sanderson envisaged that a team including retired police officers and social workers would reopen all cases where allegations of abuse or neglect had been substantiated.

Families SA reported more than 2700 substantiated investigations in 2013-14.

The review could also take in thousands of older cases where the subject of the investigation was still a minor.

Another issue that emerged from the inquests was an apparent struggle for social workers to balance supporting and disciplining dysfunctional parents.

Ms Sanderson said Families SA could address this by outsourcing some responsibilities to non-government agencies such as Anglicare.

She believed there was also scope for major efficiencies within the department, saying residential care was too common and should only be used as a last resort.

"If we are lucky enough to come into government in two years, we're broke basically ... 14 years of Labor have left us with no money," she said.

"I'll be going in as a sensible person using the money we have and allocating that in the best possible way to get good outcomes."

Child Protection Reform Minister John Rau said the government was awaiting the findings of an ongoing royal commission.

"If the opposition wishes to suggest lines of enquiry to the royal commission, they should do so directly," he said.