element

SNAICC in the News – Calls for proposed changes to child protection laws by the Northern Territory Government to be dropped

The week of 20 January 2025 has seen calls for proposed changes to child protection laws by the Northern Territory Government to be dropped, as well as the 2025 Human Rights Watch Report highlighting serious human rights concerns in Australia.

This week the Northern Territory Government has proposed amendments to the Care and Protection of Children Act, which would allow courts and the Department of Children and Families to override national guidelines in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle. The changes would make it easier to place Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in non-Indigenous care. The changes have had widespread opposition from Aboriginal legal services, advocates and politicians with concerns about the potential harm to Aboriginal children’s safety and wellbeing. Catherine LiddleCEO of SNAICC, said the proposed changes were discriminatory and went against recommendations made in numerous reports intended to prevent further Stolen Generations. Both SNAICC and the NT Children’s Commissioner have made submissions urging the NT Government to reconsider the changes to child protection laws after stakeholders were given only 48 hours to respond.

The Human Rights Watch World Report 2025 published this week has brought attention to serious human rights concerns in Australia, particularly regarding the treatment of children in the criminal justice system. The report reveals harsh conditions in detention, such as solitary confinement, and reports on the over-representation of First Nations children who make up about 60% of the youth prison population. SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle said that reading the Human Rights Watch Report serves as a stark reminder of Australia’s over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in justice systems, particularly in juvenile justice. She placed emphasis on the need for investments in early intervention and family services to address juvenile justice in Australia, and that what we need is action on the measures that work.

Life Without Barriers has introduced the Stable Foundations model to provide children and young people in out-of-home care with stability and continuity. The model features alternating primary carers, ensuring that children maintain vital emotional and cultural connections. It is part of Life Without Barriers’ broader Transformation Project, which aims to transition Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to community-controlled organisations by 2031, in partnership with SNAICC. The initiative focuses on reunification, cultural connections, and family engagement, aligning with efforts to Close the Gap and reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal children in care.

For complete coverage, find the news stories linked below.

Topic: Proposed changes to child protection laws by Northern Territory Government

The Northern Territory Government has been urged to drop proposed changes to child protection laws that would give courts and the Department of Children and Families power to override national guidelines under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle, making it easier to place Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in non-Indigenous care.

As reported by the ABC and the Australian Associated Press this week, the Northern Territory Government’s proposed amendment to the Care and Protection of Children Act 2007 would allow courts to make decisions to remove children from homes that do not adhere to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle. The Child Placement Principle—which courts, child protection officers and police must follow—states that if an Aboriginal child is placed in the child protection system, authorities must try to place that child with family or other close community members, or at least in a placement with an Aboriginal carer, rather than with non-Indigenous carers. The amendments to the Act would allow courts to disregard these principles in ‘special and exceptional circumstances’ and reduce the Child Placement Principle from a mandatory standard to a ‘guiding principle’ that would be used ‘as far as practicable’.

Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC, said the proposed changes were discriminatory and went against recommendations made in numerous reports intended to prevent further Stolen Generations. Catherine pointed out that a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was to fully implement the Child Placement Principle to keep children safe. She said that the proposed changes would significantly weaken key components of the Child Placement Principle and that SNAICC strongly opposes the implementation of the proposed changes especially since the changes are without extensive consultation with Aboriginal stakeholders.

Both SNAICC and the NT Children’s Commissioner have made submissions urging the NT Government to reconsider its proposal after stakeholders were given only 48 hours to respond. Catherine said that there is extensive evidence that shows that separating children from their culture has a negative impact on their safety and wellbeing, and that a loss of cultural identity and family connections is associated with poor outcomes in education, health, justice and wellbeing throughout life. She pointed out that the proposed amendments specifically targeted Aboriginal children and that, on its face, the amendment appears discriminatory in its design and targeting to limit Aboriginal children’s rights specifically.

Cindy Torrens, a Warlmanpa and Wambay woman and CEO of the North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Service, said that the amendments are extremely concerning and harmful, and contradictory to decades of findings from inquiries and reports, including the Bringing Them Home Report and a recent coroner’s recommendation to strengthen the principle. Torrens said that connection to culture, family, community and country are integral to children’s safety and wellbeing and called for the need to address the unequal power dynamics that have historically existed between child protection and families.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, said she shared concerns about the proposed changes and stressed the commitment under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care (target 12). The NT Labor opposition has criticised the changes with Opposition Leader Selena Uibo stating that judges are already required to put the best interests of the child first in all matters and that the proposed changes are merely window-dressing and a political point-scoring exercise. She also questioned why the Country Liberal Party is drafting legislation that will only affect Aboriginal children and families. The NT Office of the Children’s Commissioner stated that it was aware of the proposed reforms and would provide written advice and recommendations to the minister.

Despite opposition to the changes, the NT government maintains that the amendments are intended to improve safety for all children, with the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and the Minister for Child Protection currently reviewing the proposals.

For complete coverage, find the linked news stories below.

Article: Planned changes to NT child protection law branded ‘discriminatory’ by advocates – ABC (published 18 January)

Excerpt:

The chief executive of the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC), Catherine Liddle, said the proposed changes — which her organisation was briefed about a few days ago — were “discriminatory” and went against recommendations made in numerous reports intended to prevent further Stolen Generations.
“The proposed changes would significantly water down key components of the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle and we strongly object to the progression of the proposed changes without extensive consultation with Aboriginal stakeholders,” she said.
“The full implementation of the Placement Principle to protect children from harm was a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
“The principles are derived from the recommendations of the Bringing Them Home Report and multiple systems inquiries that have followed in the Northern Territory.”

Read the full article

Article: ‘Discriminatory’ NT changes target Aboriginal kids – NIT (published 20 January)

Excerpt:

“This type of exception does not exist elsewhere in Australia and should not be introduced in the Northern Territory,” SNAICC chief executive Catherine Liddle wrote.
“On its face, the amendment appears discriminatory in its design and to limit Aboriginal children’s rights specifically.”
Ms Liddle said the discriminatory nature of the amendments went against recommendations made in numerous reports intended to prevent further stolen generations.

Read the full article

Article: Warning ‘discriminatory’ changes target Aboriginal kids – IB News (published 23 January)

Excerpt:

Both the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) and the NT Children’s Commissioner made submissions urging the territory government to rethink its proposal after the bodies were given just 48 hours to provide feedback.

Ms Liddle said the discriminatory nature of the amendments went against recommendations made in numerous reports intended to prevent further stolen generations.

Read the full article

Topic: Human Rights Watch – World Report 2025

The Human Rights Watch 35th annual World Report 2025, released this week, reveals that Australia’s human rights record is ‘marred by some key human rights concerns’, particularly the treatment of children in the criminal justice system.

According to World Report 2025, which covers events in 2024, Australia is the only Western democracy without a national human rights act or charter. The Report sheds light on serious issues within the criminal justice system, particularly the treatment of children in detention, where harsh conditions like solitary confinement are common. In several jurisdictions, children as young as 10 can be criminally responsible and incarcerated. Around 700 children are detained daily, with First Nations children disproportionately represented, making up about 60% of the prison population. In October 2024, the Northern Territory government reduced the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10 and, in the same month, announced the reintroduction of spit hoods—head coverings that raise serious human rights concerns—for children in detention. 

National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds said that the Human Rights Watch report shows that Australia is regressing in terms of children’s human rights. According to Croakey Health Media, Hollonds said that Queensland’s Making Queensland Safer Act—which could see children as young as 10 being sentenced as adults, including mandatory life sentences—removes ‘detention as a last resort’ as a key principle guiding child sentencing. Hollonds condemned the removal, saying that it makes Australia the only country in the world to have removed this principle for children. She said that these laws and the NT Government’s recent decision to lower the age of criminal responsibility are an international embarrassment and signal to the world that Australia has regressed on human rights.

Associate Professor Hannah McGlade of Curtin University said that the situation for Aboriginal youth in Australia is deteriorating with states introducing laws that clearly violate UN international human rights law. She said that political parties are winning elections based on racist policies against Aboriginal people and urged the Federal Government to respond immediately to Commissioner Hollonds’ 2024 ‘Help Way Earlier’ report, which was tabled in parliament last year.

According to the report, since the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum, the rights of First Nations people have stagnated with little progress on critical reforms such as the Makarrata – Uluru Statement from the Heart. The over-representation of First Nations people in the criminal justice system remains a significant concern. Women’s rights are increasingly overshadowed by alarming rates of intimate partner violence, and a parliamentary inquiry has drawn attention to the disproportionate rates of missing and murdered First Nations women. Environmental issues are also tied to human rights concerns, especially Australia’s role as a major fossil fuel exporter, contributing to climate change and its social impacts. First Nations groups are actively fighting legal battles against environmental degradation caused by mining projects.

Catherine Liddle said that reading the Human Rights Watch Report serves as a stark reminder of Australia’s over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in justice systems, particularly in juvenile justice. She said that the report is another in a history of reports and recommendations that advocate for raising the age of criminal responsibility and addressing the underlying causes of youth crime. Catherine placed emphasis on investments in early intervention and family services as the way forward for addressing juvenile justice in Australia, and that what we need is action on the measures that work.

Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organisation dedicated to defending human rights worldwide and focuses on various thematic areas including children’s rights, crisis and conflict, disability rights, economic justice, environmental justice, First Nations rights, LGBTQI+ rights, refugee rights and women’s rights. As a non-governmental entity, Human Rights Watch is funded solely by private individuals and foundations to ensure its independence from government influence.

Read the full World Report 2025 here.

For complete coverage, find the linked Croakey Health Media article below.
Read the full article

Topic: Stable Foundations at Life Without Barriers

Life Without Barriers has implemented a new staffing structure, Stable Foundations, designed to provide children and young people in out-of-home care with stability and consistency.

The Stable Foundations model prioritises ongoing relationships with carers and addresses feedback from young people who expressed a desire for consistent care, particularly in building trust with those responsible for their wellbeing. The Stable Foundations model features two primary carers alternating weekly, with one residing in the home for seven days while the other is off duty. This ensures that children maintain continuity in their relationships—vital for their emotional wellbeing and cultural connections. The approach aligns with Life Without Barriers broader efforts to support Aboriginal children in care, with a focus on reunification, cultural connections and family engagement.

The initiative is part of Life Without Barriers’ broader Transformation Project, which aligns with the organisation’s commitment to Closing the Gap and transitioning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to Aboriginal community-controlled organisations by 2031. The Transition Roadmap was developed in partnership with SNAICC and outlines key commitments to reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care and advocating for greater support for Aboriginal community-controlled organisations to lead the community.

For more information, find the linked announcement below.
Stable Foundations announcement

Subscribe to the SNAICC mailing list


    Disclaimer: SNAICC – National Voice for our Children understands the importance of following copyright laws and ethical standards when using external content on our website. We respect authors’ and publishers’ intellectual property rights. We link to news articles to direct our audience to relevant information but we do not claim ownership of the linked content. We encourage our users to visit the original sources for the complete story and to support journalists and media outlets. We make every effort to correctly attribute the original sources of linked news articles. If requested by the copyright holder, we are willing to remove or modify any links that do not meet their terms of use or licensing requirements.

    Search SNAICC – National Voice for our Children

    The SNAICC – National Voice for our Children website is not compatible with Internet Explorer. Please use a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari for the best experience.