Cruel Care tells a story of government, politics and the emotions that drive decisions. It asks why Australia has treated child refugees with violence and why governments say that the cruel acts they perpetrate are a form of care. Based on extensive research – including 35 oral history interviews with key policymakers, along with a rich set of archival sources – this book traces how governmental authorities can make decisions designed to control and disenfranchise children in their care. It explores how legislation, ministers, political parties and the public service have combined to create a sentimental rhetoric of welfare while enacting repressive policies. And it details the weaponisation of rhetoric such as ‘best interests of the child’ and the histories of race – and racism – that shape Australian discourses of national security. At the heart of this book are the human stories. Cruel Care asks how policymakers are shaped by, and in turn shape, their histories, communities and nation, and examines how we should and can do better by those who most deserve our compassion.