The Queensland Government Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services has today released new quarterly child safety performance data, showing some operational improvements but still significant over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home-care.
Reflecting records for the past 12 months (to 30 September 2016) the data shows key improvements in both investigation timelines and the number of investigations being undertaken and completed. However, this data also shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continue to be drastically over-represented in the system, accounting for nearly 42 per cent of all children in out-of-home care, with the number of Indigenous children being removed from family increasing by 3.1 per cent (compared to 2 per cent for non-Indigenous children) since September 2015.
Recognising that firm action is required to address this over-representation, the Queensland Government has proven to be a leader in this space, with reforms recommended by the Carmody Inquiry specific to reducing this over-representation recently commencing.
While the Family Matters Campaign commends these reforms, community-controlled responses must be prioritised.
Family Matters Co-Chair Natalie Lewis comments:
Reforms rolled out in the past have failed to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities, and, as a result, have not resulted in equitable improvements in the outcomes for our children and families.
“We are optimistic that the suite of reforms now being undertaken place an emphasis on the cultural rights of our children and the need for community-driven responses to the needs of families experiencing vulnerability.”
– Natalie Lewis, Family Matters Co-Chair
Compliance with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle requires greater commitment from all states and territories, with measures of implementation of the principle currently largely centred on administrative compliance regarding where children are placed, rather than reflecting genuine efforts to keep children connected to family and culture.
The intent of the Principle goes far beyond prioritised placement arrangements for children in out-of-home care – it exists to promote cultural continuity and ensure our children grow up safe in their communities and families. An important starting point for making that a reality is to ensure a focus on quality, culturally safe and community-led early intervention and prevention supports that keep children safe and that keep child protection services out of the lives of our families.
“We encourage the Queensland Government to continue to grow its strong partnership with Aboriginal peak bodies, providers and communities, and work to develop more comprehensive indicators to measure the state’s commitment to the safety of our children, as well as their hopes and aspirations.
“Family Matters is optimistic that the Queensland Government will continue to prove its leadership in this area by adopting the Family Matters building blocks as pillars for positive transformational change within the child protection system.”
– Natalie Lewis