The Queensland government will probe claims that vulnerable children are being removed from foster care and sent back to their biological parents in unsafe homes.
Childrens Minister Leanne Linard has ordered her director-general to travel to Townsville to question "senior people" in the Department of Child Safety.
An anonymous whistleblower told the Townsville Bulletin children were being put at risk of sexual and physical abuse by being reunited with parents in unsafe homes.
The whistleblower also says there's been a tenfold increase in carer complaints and a deteriorating workplace culture within the department.
"When concerns are raised, they are looked into and we take them very seriously," Ms Linard told reporters on Wednesday.
"My director general is travelling there today to Townsville as the appropriate person, she's a very experienced practitioner herself."
The Liberal National Party's child safety spokesman Amanda Camm said this whistleblower was brave for speaking out and the government needed to act.
She said there were almost 12,000 children in the care of the state, 1300 of whom are in residential care.
"To read some of the horrific circumstances of where children are being returned and placed is heartbreaking," she said.
Ms Linard said she wanted to hear from departmental workers and carers across the state, and she plans to travel to Townsville next week.
Independent Advocacy NQ spokesman Mac Clayton said he's previously raised concerns about forced reunions with state and federal politicians.
He's particularly concerned about the growing number of disabled Indigenous children being removed from foster families.
"I wrote to 11 members of parliament and had one response," Mr Clayton told reporters.
"They were from both state and federal ministers, shadow ministers and members of parliament. Nobody was interested."
He said the allegations from the Department of Child Safety whistleblower mirrored those he had heard from carers and foster parents in the state's north.
"Complaints are being made by foster carers. Complaints are not followed up or they're buried," Mr Clayton said.
"Foster carers are threatened with veiled threats, the relationship with the department is toxic and we are working as a group now to try and mend those relationships and try to bring to light this issue."
