Peak organisations for Indigenous child protection have criticised the Australian government for its slow progress on vital reforms as recent data reveals that Indigenous children are significantly overrepresented in the child protection system.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), as of June 30, 2022, there were 19,432 Indigenous children in out-of-home care, equating to a rate of 57 per 1,000 children and this starkly contrasts with non-Indigenous children, whose rate remained at 6.8 per 1,000 children.
Hence, this disparity highlights a growing crisis, with Indigenous children being 11.8 times more likely to be removed from their families compared to their non-Indigenous peers.
And the Family Matters Report 2023 further underscores the gravity of the situation as it shows that while Indigenous children make up a significant portion of the child population, they are disproportionately represented in child protection systems.
With nearly 63% of Indigenous children in out-of-home care are placed with relatives or other Indigenous carers, in accordance with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle, which aims to ensure children remain connected to their culture and community.
SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, a key advocate for Indigenous child welfare has emphasised the need for government accountability and the importance of culturally safe practices but despite the National Agreement on Closing the Gap aiming to reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in out-of-home care by 45% by 2031, progress has been disappointingly slow.
And the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in care has widened, reflecting systemic failures and unmet promises.
“”Our children’s futures are at stake—they cannot afford to wait while the government drags its feet on reforms that should have been implemented long ago,” said John Leha, CEO of the NSW Child, Family and Community Peak Aboriginal Corporation (AbSec).
“Setting up committees and launching advisory groups is just window-dressing unless it leads to decisive action.”
AbSec and the Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) have jointly criticised the government’s lack of progress, citing the inefficiencies and ineffectiveness of the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and recent audits have revealed deep systemic flaws within the department, further compromising the welfare of Indigenous children across the state.
Karly Warner, CEO of ALS (NSW/ACT) also expressed concerns about meeting the target of reducing overrepresentation by noting that the government is not on track to achieve the target by 2031 and that the NSW government and DCJ must recommit to the promised ways of working under Closing The Gap and embrace the roadmap provided by the Family Matters Review.
And the Family Matters Report Card for July 2024 highlighted several critical issues, including systemic failures, slow transitions to Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) and neglected early intervention funding. Furthermore, only 7.2% of early intervention funding has been allocated to ACCOs, far below the promised 30% reflecting a longstanding pattern of under-funding and neglect.
So as the government faces mounting pressure to act, the call for a mutually agreed Family Matters implementation plan with clear targets, timeframes and accountabilities grows louder.
Because the urgency of these reforms cannot be overstated, as every delay exacerbates the harm and trauma experienced by Indigenous children and their families.
