Life Without Barriers’ Post

2024 Family Matters Report: A Call to Action 📢 The latest Family Matters Report, released by SNAICC today, highlights an alarming reality: more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are being removed from their families than ever before. This year, the report reveals a record 22,908 First Nations children in the child protection system—an increase of over 500 from last year. These numbers are a stark reminder of the inequities still faced by First Nations children and families in Australia. This is a national crisis, and we must do better. At OzChild, we stand firm in our commitment to advocating for culturally safe solutions that reduce these numbers. Transitioning children from out-of-home care into culturally grounded care and investing in First Nations organisations to lead this work are critical steps forward. We must ensure all children are safe, respected, nurtured, and can thrive within their culture and community. This issue affects us all, and it demands urgent, collective action. To read the full report and learn more, click the link below 👇 https://lnkd.in/ga8Bmx_P

SNAICC - National Voice for our Children have released their Family Matters Report for 2024. The report finds that child protection systems continue to fail Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, exposing them to ongoing harm and trauma. Some of the alarming statistics: ❗ There are 22,908 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of- home care, which represents 41% of all children in out-of-home care, despite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children making up only 6% of the total child population in Australia. ❗ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 10.8 times more likely to be in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children. ❗ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 11.5 times more likely to be removed into out-of-home care as infants. #SNAICC #FamilyMatters2024 #AboriginalChildren #OOHC

Twenty Aboriginal children in Victoria's protection system have died in the past year, including six within three months, sparking renewed calls to fix Victoria's "overstretched" system. Most of the Aboriginal children killed were under the age of two, however, details including their specific ages and circumstances surrounding their deaths have been kept hidden from the public. Those figures don't include deaths by suicide. Given the small size of the Aboriginal population in Victoria, the numbers are disproportionately high. For these families and communities, losing even a single child has a significant and lasting impact. It’s crucial to address this disparity by allocating resources toward culturally appropriate support, preventive interventions, and empowering Aboriginal-led agencies to better protect these vulnerable children. Too often, our most vulnerable Aboriginal children are placed in the care of systems and professionals who lack a real understanding of Aboriginal history, culture, and the trauma still impacting our communities. This isn't just about filling positions; it’s about filling them with people who have the knowledge, commitment, and respect to provide culturally safe and competent care. Cultural awareness isn’t optional—it’s essential for creating a system that truly protects. We cannot allow organizations, even those with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander leaders, to work with our communities if they lack this essential knowledge or the training to understand and address the complex historical and social contexts involved. Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal experiences are not interchangeable; each community has its own unique culture, history, and challenges. Ensuring Aboriginal children receive appropriate care means understanding and respecting these differences. Accountability and transparency are paramount. The people responsible for overseeing these children’s safety should be both culturally informed and genuinely committed to addressing the root issues in their lives, not just putting a “band-aid” on systemic problems. It’s time to take a hard look at who is in these roles and whether they’re truly equipped to handle them. Without clear, committed action, we risk perpetuating a system that fails our children. The children in our child protection system deserve the same standard of care and compassion that we would expect for our own children. Let's hold our leaders, organizations, and ourselves accountable to a higher standard of care, ensuring culturally safe and supportive environments for every child. #ChildProtection #Accountability #CulturalCompetence #AboriginalChildren #IndigenousRights #Victoria #SystemicChange #Leadership https://lnkd.in/gMP9TXhj

A critical report from SNAICC - National Voice for our Children #FamilyMattersReport2024 With the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children in OOHC, the government needs to urgently invest in community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) to deliver services and care for children. Something that Barnardos Australia is strongly committed to. Deirdre CHEERS Allies for Children Australia https://lnkd.in/gKjvMYg4

As a collective, we believe the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in child protection systems is the most urgent and important issue our sector faces. Despite the end of forced removal policies in 1969, First Nations children face disproportionate separation from their families, surpassing rates of the Stolen Generations. However, the solution cannot be dictated by non-Indigenous organisations. Holistic services and responses by be centred in self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities, ensuring that children experience their right to grow and thrive within their cultural heritage, community, and kinship networks. In our statement of commitment, Allies for Children recognises the urgent need for action. Our commitment rests on three pillars: MODEL: We're implementing internal changes guided by Indigenous governance, fostering partnerships for cultural responsiveness. INFLUENCE: Sharing learnings and encourage other organisations to participate in supporting community controlled organisations. ADVOCACY: Investing in advocacy efforts to prevent children and families entering care. Our Statement https://lnkd.in/ggRcapMD #aboriginalchildren #selfdetermination #communityled

When child protection enters your life, you MUST have an advocate. This system is punitive - in our work on the ground at the frontline of Aboriginal women and children’s safety we see Aboriginal mums blamed and punished for the violence they experience and their children are taken. This is why Aboriginal women, mums, MUST have an advocate and early access to legal advice and representation. In my 22 years working with Djirra I have only ever seen the number of our kids taken RISE not drop. Over the 22 years, we have called for greater funding of our specialist service to support mums to escape the violence safety with their kids - this is our priority - to keep families - mums and their kids together safely. For more than ten years, DJIRRA and other specialist Family Violence Prevention and Legal Services (FVPLS) across the country have called for funding to receive Child Protection Referrals when a notification is made on an Aboriginal child. This would mean that MUMS are REFERRED immediately to our SPECIALIST services for LEGAL advice and representation - THIS WILL PREVENT CHILD REMOVAL and KEEP KIDS with their MUMS loved and thriving in culture. Get behind DJIRRA and other FVPLSs and support our calls for increased funding to STOP our KIDS from BEING TAKEN Djirra- Sharing stories, finding solutions First Nations Advocates Against Family Violence (formerly the NFVPLS Forum) https://lnkd.in/g9suhjyM

Incredibly proud of the work we do here at the Office of The Public Advocate and the people who do it. This past week we launched Foundations for change report. This report is a step on the truth-telling process as we reflect and learn about the way we work with Aboriginal people, and how we can improve the experience of those clients. Data cited in the report include:  5% of all people represented by an OPA guardian in 2022–23 were Aboriginal people, compared to Aboriginal people being just 1% of the Victorian population. Of these Aboriginal clients under guardianship: 89% were NDIS participants (or were in the process of becoming a participant) 59% had experienced mental illness 22% had experienced contact with the criminal justice system 32% had experienced primary homelessness 88% of Aboriginal clients under 30 had experienced past involvement in their lives of child protection services. In relation to the Independent Third Person (ITP) Program, 25% of the alleged offenders supported by an ITP volunteer in 2022-23 were Aboriginal people. It was a privilege to join a yarning circle with Colleen Pearce and Kyle Vander-Kuyp to discuss, share and recognise about the ongoing effects of colonisation and its impacts for Aboriginal people with disability, often making the very first step of engaging with services difficult. This obstacle is one that we must consider as we seek to improve outcomes.

Five years ago, the landmark Family Is Culture review provided a roadmap for transforming the NSW child protection system and halting its profound harm to Aboriginal children and families. But too little has been done to implement its recommendations and make real change. It’s clear that leadership on reform must be driven and controlled by Aboriginal communities if we are to do better. With AbSec, Aboriginal Legal Service and Jumbunna Institute at UTS, we’re calling for fundamental reform of the child protection system. The Government must support community action by creating an independent NSW Child Protection Commission and appointing a Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People, enabling community to scrutinise decisions and hold the Government to account. ‘It’s time for the NSW Government to support the leadership of Aboriginal communities. We need reforms that empower the community, backed by the resources they need to succeed,’ our CEO Jonathon Hunyor said. The co-authored community report details the timeline of Government failure in the lead-up to, and since, Family is Culture. It also demonstrates the ongoing resilience and strength of Aboriginal communities and their work to support and empower families and children to remain safe and together. Read the report: https://lnkd.in/eaaSYZDp https://lnkd.in/e9Nbw4A8

Victoria's #ChildProtection services must be urgently reformed. To address the multiple failures of the system, we continue to call for change, including giving full effect to self-determination so that #FirstNations kids and families get the support they need and want https://lnkd.in/gXJJZsz8