Failings of Victoria's child protection system including 35 deaths laid bare

The Australian Childhood Foundation says vulnerable children in Victoria are being let down. (ABC News)

An inquiry by the Commission for Children and Young People has found Victorian children are falling through the cracks in a system under overwhelming pressure.

Its report analyses the deaths of 35 children who had been subject to child protection referrals yet deemed not to be at significant risk.

Advocates have called upon the government to heed the recommendations of the inquiry.

Thirty-five children who died in Victoria were the subject of hundreds of child protection referrals, the majority of which had been closed because they were deemed to not be at significant risk.

The grim findings are contained in the Commission for Children and Young People's (CCYP) Left Behind report, which found children were falling through the cracks in a system under overwhelming pressure.

The commission called on the Victorian government to increase funding and tailor more counselling and family violence services to children.

Family services such as parental or developmental support only met one-third of demand last year, the report said.

As part of the report, CCYP reviewed a sample of 35 children who died after being the subject of at least two referrals.

One was the subject of 28 referrals, which began when they were only six days old.

There were eight reports about each child on average, or a combined 267 referrals. The majority of these, 237, were closed at intake or investigation.

But all 35 had multiple risk factors that escalated over time, the commission said, such as family violence, substance abuse and mental health.

"Multiple re-reports for all children and young people concerned suggest that reports were closed prematurely and/or the service system was unable to engage or support the family to make a consistent positive change," the report said.

The most common causes of death were accidents such as drowning or house fires, suicide and illness.

Australian Childhood Foundation chief executive Janise Mitchell says the Left Behind report highlights the need for reform to Victoria's child-at-risk support networks. (Supplied: Australian Childhood Foundation)

Aboriginal children were over-represented, and 23 per cent of the 35 children had a disability or complex medical needs.

"The deaths of these children were preventable. They were seen, reported, referred, and left behind," said Australian Childhood Foundation chief executive Janise Mitchell.

"Today's report must be a line in the sand. Victoria cannot keep asking children and young people t