The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (the Child Placement Principle) was developed to ensure that the child protection system recognises the importance of children staying connected to family, community, culture and country when decisions are made around placement of a child.
While aspects of the Child Placement Principle have been adopted by each state and territory across Australia, there remains some misunderstanding around the meaning of the Principle and its application.
This paper responds to this issue and the partial application of the Child Placement Principle. The paper provides details of the historical development of the Child Placement Principle, outlines the definition of the principle and each of its constituent elements. It also suggests a number of structural changes that need to take place in order to ensure accountability and compliance with the Child Placement Principle.
