So, why has the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care increased from one-in-five children to one-in-three children in the last 20 years? It’s wrong. It’s disproportionate. It’s devastating families.
Stand with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. Write to your minister today.
Since the launch of the Family Matters campaign in 2016, the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia’s child protection system has been brought to light – and the push for change is building momentum.
Here are three reasons why we need to take urgent action:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 9.8 times more likely to be removed by child protection authorities
- More than 17,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are currently living away from their families in out-of-home care
- Only 17% of overall child protection funding was invested in support services for children and their families – meaning the bulk of funds react to the problems rather than solving them.
The situation will get worse if we don’t take action now. Tell your minister that this issue needs to be a priority for both our federal and state governments at the next Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting.