SNAICC, Australia’s peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, has welcomed the re-appointment of Kyam Maher as Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Alice Rolls as the new Child Protection Minister and Lucy Hood as the Education Minister in the Malinauskas government.
The organisation would also like to thank outgoing Ministers Blair Boyer and Katrine Hilyard for their contributions in their previous portfolios.
SNAICC has called for the government to prioritise fixing the broken out-of-home (OOHC) system in South Australia; warning that without urgent reform the cycle of overrepresentation will continue to devastate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
Aboriginal children make up roughly 39 percent of those in out-of-home care, despite accounting for just 5.5 percent of SA’s population.
Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC said the disparity is a clear signal that the current system is failing.
“We cannot keep pouring funding into a crisis-driven system that only reacts after a family has reached its breaking point.
“Data from the Family Matters report confirms the current reliance on crisis-driven support is unsustainable and continues to perpetuate inequity. A strategic shift in funding toward prevention and family preservation is essential to ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children remain safe and connected within their own communities,” Ms Liddle said.
“The report highlights better outcomes for children who remain connected to culture and community, yet Aboriginal community-controlled services lack the state support and funding critically needed to transition the sector from a crisis-response model to one of sustainable, community-led prevention.”
South Australia has the second highest rate of Aboriginal children in OOHC, and the third lowest expenditure on Family Support and Intensive Family Support in the country, according to the Family Matters report.
Dale Aguis, Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People in SA said investing in early intervention and prevention can reverse long-standing trends for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
“We are recognising that the best people to support our communities are the communities themselves by providing direct, sustainable funding to ACCOs. This isn’t just about service delivery, it’s about ensuring every child grows up with a clear sense of who they are and where they belong,” said Mr Aguis.
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For all media queries, please contact Charlie Bowcock on 0417 042 308 or media@snaicc.org.au
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