Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are invisible yet again in a federal budget that includes no significant investments to address the long-standing issues faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
The Federal Government flagged spending on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs is not only completely lacklustre, it ignores the persistent campaigning from an undervalued community-controlled sector working tirelessly for its communities.
It’s incredibly difficult to see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children mentioned at all in this budget.
“Some of our children are the most vulnerable children in the country, and they face barriers that don’t exist for other children. This budget shows the absence of a long-term strategy or investment in our children.”
– Muriel Bamblett, SNAICC Chair
Consecutive Family Matters reports have called for a redistribution in funding focus of child protection systems, which see only 17 per cent of funding go towards early intervention and prevention services – the services that address issues early and help keep children safe with their families. Supporting our families in not only the responsibility of the states – if we are to end over-representation, the Federal Government must do more. This budget has no funding secured for these vital services.
Family Matters showcases exactly what’s required to slow down and stop the crisis-level of Aboriginal children being removed.
“The Family Matters reports are evidence-based, and the campaign is supported by more than 150 organisations across the country that deal with this issue every day. We’re going to see more and more children removed if that imbalance in child protection funding is not immediately addressed and early intervention services are not properly prioritised.”
– Muriel Bamblett, SNAICC Chair
The national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, SNAICC has identified some key federal election priorities that showcase exactly what is required to ensure equality for all Australian children.
The pathway for better outcomes is through supporting our communities to deliver evidence-informed, wrap-around family support services. The solutions to address these concerns lie in the strengths of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services, families and communities.”
– Muriel Bamblett, SNAICC Chair
The 2019 Federal Election Priorities flyer is available via the SNAICC website.
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