In a resounding call for change, Aboriginal organisations across New South Wales are demanding an urgent overhaul of the state’s beleaguered child protection system. The impassioned plea comes in the wake of a damning independent review that exposes the government’s failure to implement critical reforms aimed at safeguarding vulnerable Indigenous children and families from the trauma of separation.
Review Reveals Staggering Inaction
The review, a collaborative effort by leading Aboriginal advocacy groups, paints a disturbing picture of bureaucratic inertia and broken promises. Despite the NSW government’s commitment to enact sweeping changes following the 2019 Family is Culture report, a mere 12 out of 126 recommendations have been fully implemented. This startling revelation underscores the urgent need for meaningful action to address the systemic failures that continue to tear Aboriginal families apart.
Disproportionate Rates of Child Removal
At the heart of the crisis lies a staggering disparity: Aboriginal children in NSW are now almost 12 times more likely to be placed in out-of-home care than their non-Aboriginal peers—a distressing increase from 9.5 times just a few years ago. This alarming trend not only inflicts immeasurable harm on the affected children but also perpetuates the intergenerational trauma that has long plagued Indigenous communities.
We envision a future where our communities are empowered to keep our children safe and cared for – where they grow up connected to their cultures, on Country, and surrounded by love and support.
John Leha, CEO of AbSec
Accountability and Self-Determination
Aboriginal organisations are united in their call for the establishment of an independent child protection commission and a commissioner for Aboriginal children and young people. These crucial oversight bodies would serve to hold the government accountable for its actions and ensure that the voices of Indigenous communities are heard and respected in the decision-making process.
Central to the demand for change is the principle of self-determination. Aboriginal leaders assert that the wellbeing of their children is inextricably linked to the empowerment of their communities. By transferring leadership of child protection reforms from government control to Aboriginal hands, a path can be forged towards a future where Indigenous children are nurtured within their own cultures and surrounded by the love and support they deserve.
A Call to Action
The NSW government now faces a critical juncture. Will it heed the urgent call for change and take decisive action to rectify the failings of the past? Or will it continue to let another generation of Aboriginal children fall victim to a system that has consistently failed to protect them?
As Karly Warner, CEO of the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), poignantly remarked:
Five years is an eternity in the life of a child. The past five years presented countless opportunities to take decisive action and protect Aboriginal children from the trauma and lifelong harm of being torn away from their families, but the NSW government has willingly let another generation fall victim to bureaucratic inertia.
Karly Warner, CEO of the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT)
The time for incremental tweaks and half-measures has long passed. What is needed now is a transformative overhaul that places the well-being of Aboriginal children at its core and empowers Indigenous communities to shape their own futures.
The eyes of the nation are upon NSW, watching to see if the government will rise to this crucial challenge. The lives and futures of countless Aboriginal children hang in the balance, and the cost of inaction is too high to bear. Change must come, and it must come now.
