QUEENSLAND children removed from dysfunctional families and placed in state care might soon find themselves in a prestigious boarding school.

As the $9 million child inquiry yesterday prepared to shift its focus to old allegations of abuse in a Queensland youth detention centre, it has used the past week to continue its examination of care options for troubled children.

In Ipswich hearings a radical proposal was floated suggesting the state pay boarding school fees for students after evidence emerged of a rapid decline in foster carers.

A senior figure in child care, Rob Ryan, formerly of the Communities Department, told the inquiry he had heard evidence that in Ipswich children often had to be shuffled from home to home because of a shortage of foster carers.

"I think that is the tragedy of the system - not having enough carers out there," he said.

Mr Ryan, a board member of the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, agreed with a suggestion boarding school was one alternative which could be considered.

Counsel assisting Ryan Haddrick asked whether he would support giving the state the right to decide that a child's care plan involved boarding school, "with the state picking up the tab".

"To extend the suite of options available can only be a good thing," Mr Ryan replied.

Mr Ryan who now works for Keyassets Fostering did not support boarding school solely dedicated to children in state care, saying there was a risk of stigmatisation.

The inquiry has heard that one residential home for four kids with round-the-clock care could cost almost $1 million annually.

Commissioner Tim Carmody noted in the early days of the inquiry that the bill for residential care for children was so high "it would be cheaper to send them to Churchie or Terrace".

The inquiry also announced yesterday it would devote a large slice of the summer break to examining the Heiner affair. With more than 100 witnesses listed to appear, it is expected former prime minister Kevin Rudd, a senior public servant of former Labor premier Wayne Goss's government, will be called to give evidence, along with Mr Goss himself.

Heiner refers to the 1990 shredding of evidence into 1988 child sex abuse allegations at the John Oxley Youth Detention Centre at Wacol.

Magistrate Noel Heiner heard evidence into allegations of sex abuse in 1989 after being appointed by former National Party police minister Russell Cooper.

The allegations stemmed from the pack rape of a 14-year-old girl by inmates of the John Oxley Youth Detention Centre.

When the Goss government was elected it received Crown Law advice the inquiry was not properly constituted and shredded documents related to the matter.

Since then numerous inquiries have taken place with former Queensland Professional Officers Association official Kevin Lindeberg among the key figures alleging serious misconduct at high levels of government.

Originally published as Troubled kids for elite boarding schools