Officials from the Department of Community Services will be questioned about why they didn't act sooner to help the children but this sort of case must be a real worry for the departmental people who are supposed to protect them.

Each case would involve parents with big problems, maybe alcohol or drugs or, sometimes, because the parent involved is simply inadequate. The fact that they are able to produce children doesn't necessarily mean they are capable of being good parents.

And where are the fathers who should also be caring for the children?

The case workers have to make some tough decisions. Do they remove the children from their parents to enable them to live a better life? Or would it be better to leave them with their natural parents, hoping they will accept the responsibility of being good parents?

Before you answer, think about the so-called stolen generation. These were children forcibly taken from their natural parents because someone, rightly or wrongly, believed it would be better for the children.

Did they do the right thing? Has history supported their efforts?

And the courts are also involved.

Instead of leaving all decisions about problem families for departmental officials to decide, our system allows appeals to the courts and in some cases the courts have decided against the recommendations of the people employed to oversee the care of children.

It's a fair system but everything depends on the considered opinions of the officials, most of whom genuinely want to do the best thing for the children.

It is certainly not a black and white issue - every case must be different - and why does the mother have to take the blame? Where is the child's father in all this?

But, while the safety of the children must always be paramount, we also need to consider the parents - adults who might have self-induced drug or alcohol problems or who suffer from other frailties. The people at DOCS have to consider them - and their future - as well as those of the children.

There must be some very sad cases. The parents might be simply inadequate but that doesn't mean they don't love their children.

Maybe the community shouldn't be too judgemental, either of the parents or the people whose job it is to protect the children at risk.