More SA children going into care each year

Child protection workers in South Australia tend to underestimate the risks posed by parents abusing drugs or alcohol, a state parliamentary committee has found.

The select committee, including opposition and crossbench MPs, says more children are going into care each year and those in care are staying longer.

It says drug and alcohol abuse is a recurring factor in children at risk and a factor in the removal of children from their parents.

But it found Families SA tended to underestimate the risks and was not making full use of legal provisions to remove children from their parents.

Family First MP Dennis Hood said it was not OK for parents substantially affected by illicit drugs to still be looking after their children.

"It most cases that leads to a detrimental outcome," he said.

The committee's interim report has also expressed concern at the high number of Aboriginal children in care.

"There is an urgent need to support the Aboriginal community to provide both kinship care and foster care, particularly for Aboriginal children," it said.

"There is also a need for training resources to be tailored to Aboriginal culture and family structures."

In the case of children taken into care, the committee has questioned moves by Families SA to sometimes remove children from foster homes suddenly and without explanation.

It said such unexpected and unexplained action fostered bitterness and contributed to carers leaving the foster care system.