Page 3522 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 12 September 2017
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For too long in this nation we have sought the advice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people but not listened to that advice. The Bringing them home report is nearly 20 years old and yet contains recommendations that have been too slow to take hold across Australia.
The review I have announced will take Aboriginal knowledge in this area and put that knowledge at the centre of the review. It will adopt the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child placement principle, as clearly articulated by the Secretariat for National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Care, known as SNAICC, as a guiding structure. The child placement principle recognises that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have the knowledge and capability to make the best decisions concerning their children and recognises the importance of each child staying connected to their family, community, culture and country.
The child placement principle is widely recognised by peak Aboriginal bodies as the authoritative construct that should guide child wellbeing decisions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people. All Australian governments have agreed to implement the principle under the national framework for protecting Australia’s children 2009-20, and we will focus our efforts through this review to live up to this commitment. This review will help to ensure that here in the ACT we are not only acknowledging the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child placement principle but that the principle is central in our policies and practice.
The five key elements of the child placement principle are prevention, partnership, placement, participation and connection. “Prevention” states that each Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child has the right to be brought up within their own family and community. “Partnership” asserts that the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community representatives, external to the statutory agency, is required in child protection decision-making.
“Placement” requires that the placement of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child in out of home care is prioritised. Where possible, placement should, firstly, be with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander relatives or extended family members, or other relatives or extended family members; secondly, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family-based carers; and, finally, with non-Indigenous carers or in residential settings.
“Participation” means that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, parents and family members are entitled to participate in all child protection decisions affecting them regarding intervention, placement and care, and including judicial decisions. Finally, “connection” requires that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out of home care are supported to maintain connection to their family, their community and their culture, particularly when children live with non-Indigenous carers.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child placement principle is not simply about where or with whom a child is placed in out of home care. It is about what we do to support families and how we place families at the centre of decision-making
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