What is Sector Transformation?

A vision for self-determined Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led child and family services.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families and communities have the right to lead the decisions, services and systems that affect their lives.

Sector Transformation is the long-term structural shift in how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and family services are designed, funded, governed and delivered toward systems and services that are community-controlled, culturally grounded and led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Sector Transformation Principles Framework (the Framework) is at the centre of this work, defining the principles, conditions and reform approach required to transition from mainstream dominated service systems to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led systems of care.

The Framework recognises that transformation cannot be achieved by simply making existing systems more culturally aware or by transferring mainstream models into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations. Instead, the Framework makes clear that transformation necessitates creating the conditions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations to design, govern, deliver and evaluate services in ways that are responsive to local community priorities, strengths and ways of knowing, being and doing. This includes a deliberate shift in power, decision-making, investment and accountability from non-Indigenous mainstream NGOs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations, in line with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children works in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations, governments, mainstream NGOs and philanthropy to support sector transformation in practice. This includes supporting the structured transition of services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, strengthening organisational capability across governance, workforce and data, and advocating for policy and funding settings that enable long-term, culturally grounded and community-led systems of care.

The goal of Sector Transformation is a sustained shift toward Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled systems of care shaped by community priorities, grounded in culture and accountable to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families and communities so that children grow up safe, strong in culture, and supported by services designed by and for community.

Why Transformation Matters

Too often, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families experience systems that are culturally unsafe, fragmented and not designed by or for community. These systems are more likely to intervene after harm has occurred, rather than invest in the strengths and supports that ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children grow up safe, strong and connected to family, kin, community, culture and Country.

The evidence is clear. Every year, the annual Family Matters Report finds that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are disproportionately over-represented in child protection and out-of-home care systems across Australia. At the same time, the evidence also shows that when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations are resourced and empowered to lead, outcomes improve, with children more likely to be safe and to remain connected to family, community and culture. Despite this, investment continues to be weighted toward crisis and statutory responses, rather than prevention, early intervention and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions; solutions that are proven to work and are grounded in culture, community and long-term wellbeing.

Governments have already committed to doing things differently. National reform agendas, including Safe and Supported, its First Action Plan and the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, set out a clear direction for strengthening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector and transforming systems. These frameworks are aligned in their intent: to shift decision-making to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, invest in community-controlled services and move toward prevention-focused, culturally grounded systems of care. However, the structural change they call for is not yet being realised at the scale or pace required. The challenge is not a lack of policy commitment but a lack of consistent, system-wide implementation.

Transformation matters because it is the pathway to delivering on these commitments. Transformation requires a fundamental shift from systems that respond to harm to systems that prevent it; from managing risk to strengthening families; from mainstream designed services to community-controlled systems of care; and from fragmented service responses to holistic systems of care. Transformation empowers services and systems that are:

• led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,
• grounded in culture, community authority and connection to Country,
• designed around relationships, healing and long-term wellbeing,
• responsive to local context and community-defined priorities, and
• accountable to children, young people, families and communities.

Transformation is about driving structural and systemic change; strengthening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector and investing in what works, so that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and families are supported through services and systems led by community.

SNAICC’s Role

SNAICC’s Sector Transformation work is grounded in our longstanding commitment to community control, self-determination and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people, families and communities.

We work across policy, sector development and systems reform to support the shift toward Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led child and family services, and to help create the conditions for long-term community control.

This includes:

• working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations, governments and sector partners to strengthen shared decision-making and support culturally responsive, community-led service transition,
• advocating for sustainable, flexible and fit-for-purpose funding models that enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations to deliver holistic, culturally grounded services,
• supporting governance, workforce capability, organisational readiness and sector leadership to build a strong and sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled sector,
• contributing to national reform processes under Safe and Supported and Closing the Gap,
• supporting the implementation of Indigenous Data Sovereignty, so communities have greater authority over how data is defined, collected, interpreted and used, and
• strengthening the evidence base for community-controlled, culturally grounded models through data, evaluation and sector-led innovation.

Our role is to support the conditions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations to lead child and family services in ways that are culturally grounded, community-controlled and sustainable.