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SNAICC in the News – New AIHW report on Child Protection and Youth Justice, wage increase for childcare workers & CCCFR Review

The week of 21 October 2024 covers the release of a new AIHW report on Child Protection and Youth Justice, continuation of discussions about the wage increase for childcare workers announced earlier this year and a new CCCFR Review and its recommendations.

A new AIHW report on Child Protection and Youth Justice reveals a worrying crossover between child protection and youth justice, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The report, Young people under youth justice supervision and their interaction with the child protection system 2022–23, shows nearly two-thirds of young people in youth justice had prior child protection involvement. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 26 times more likely to experience this. SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle says this demonstrates how the child protection system funnels Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children into youth justice. She calls for urgent reforms and culturally appropriate supports to reduce child removals and system involvement, ensuring children remain connected to family and culture.

The Australian Government’s 15% wage rise for childcare workers, backed by a $3.6 billion boost, continues to generate discussion. While welcomed by the sector for increasing award wages by $155 per week, concerns remain about its impact on smaller providers, including Aboriginal community-controlled services. Catherine Liddle warns that these services may struggle to access the funding, risking further disadvantage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. She calls for tailored support and exemptions for these organisations to ensure they aren’t left behind.

A review of the Community Child Care Fund Restricted (CCCFR) Grant highlights the need for changes to better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood services. The report finds that mainstream childcare funding alone is insufficient to sustain these services. Catherine Liddle stresses the importance of reform, calling for a dedicated funding model to ensure the long-term sustainability of Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.

For more details, check out our media releases and the linked news stories below.

Topic: New AIHW Report on Child Protection and Youth Justice

This week saw the release of a new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, which reveals the troubling connection between child protection and youth justice for many vulnerable young people, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

The report, Young people under youth justice supervision and their interaction with the child protection system 2022–23, reveals that nearly two-thirds of young people under youth justice supervision during 2022–23 had prior involvement with the child protection system. This is especially concerning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, who are 26 times more likely to experience this crossover.

SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle says the report underscores how child protection systems are failing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and acting as a pipeline into the youth justice system. Catherine says that the over-representation of our children in out-of-home care is deeply concerning, saying that the longer a child spends in care and the more placements they experience, the more likely they are to end up in the youth justice system. Catherine calls for urgent action, emphasising the need for culturally appropriate supports to prevent child removals and reduce involvement in these systems. 

SNAICC is calling for investment in culturally appropriate services that not only reduce criminalisation rates but also promote the wellbeing and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, ensuring they remain connected to family, community, and culture.

For complete coverage, read our media release and the news and media stories linked below.
View Media Release

Article: “Truly confronting”: New report reveals link between child protection and youth justice – NIT (published 25 October)

Excerpt:

Chief executive of SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, Catherine Liddle, said this was a “truly confronting statistic”, and argued the report shows the child protection system is failing Indigenous children in Australia.
“The interconnectedness of the youth justice and child protection systems highlights a systemic failure and the strong need for culturally appropriate supports to divert at-risk children from further involvement with child protection and the justice system,” Ms Liddle said.
“When children are separated from family, community and culture, the risk of adverse outcomes for their health, development, and wellbeing increases.
“We need to see more investment in supporting families, preventing child removals, and supporting cultural connections for children who are in care.”

Read the full article

Topic: Wage increase for childcare workers

This week, there has been further discussion in the Australian childcare sector on the Australian Government’s 15% wage increase for childcare workers over two years, backed by a $3.6 billion funding boost.

While the wage increase, providing an extra $155 per week for workers on award wages, has been widely welcomed, concerns are growing about its impact on smaller providers, particularly Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.

Caroline Croser-Barlow, CEO of The Front Project, warned that the shift towards larger, for-profit childcare providers could drive up costs for families and force smaller operators out of the market. Early Childhood Australia’s CEO, Samantha Page, also raised concerns about the wage increase placing additional strain on smaller not-for-profits unaccustomed to collective bargaining.

SNAICC has echoed these concerns, with CEO Catherine Liddle welcoming the wage rise but warning that Aboriginal community-controlled services may struggle to access the funding. Catherine said that the wage increase could unintentionally create barriers for Aboriginal community-controlled early years services, which play a critical role in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, particularly in regional and remote areas.

Catherine has urged the government to partner with Aboriginal peak bodies to ensure Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and the children they serve are not left behind. She called for exemptions to the fee increase limit for Aboriginal community-controlled early years services and tailored support to help them navigate wage rise processes.

SNAICC’s full submission to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee on the Wage Justice for Early Childhood Education and Care Workers Bill 2024 can be accessed here.

For full coverage, check out our media release and linked news stories.
View Media Release

Article: teachers may miss out on federal pay rise – NIT (published 24 October)

Excerpt:

Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC said the organisation welcomes the Federal Government’s commitment and action to fund a 15 per cent pay rise for ECEC workers.
“While we welcome the payment increase, we believe there are unintended consequences around the wage increases processes which are creating barriers for ACCO early years services to access the payment,” Ms Liddle said
“The design and implementation of this wage increase, including the Bill, was not done in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak bodies or organisations so we have urged governments to work with us so ACCOs and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are not left behind.

Read the full article

Article: Childcare sector ‘sleepwalking’ into market domination – AAP Newswire (published 23 October)

Excerpt:

But there is also a need to build and support local workforces, John Burton, executive director at peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children SNAICC.
“There is a risk with higher wages that it will drive more in-and-out workforce in the community, rather than addressing the more complex and underlying problems of building the capability and qualifications of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within their own communities,” he said.
The pay bump will help Indigenous Australians enter the workforce but that must be supported by targeted development and qualification programs.

Read the full article

Topic: CCCFR Review

A review of the Community Child Care Fund Restricted (CCCFR) Grant, released this week, has called for significant changes to better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood education and care services.

The review highlights that many services cannot survive on mainstream childcare funding alone. Commissioned by the Department of Education, Deloitte’s review of the CCCFR Grant found that the current funding model falls short in addressing the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The review also noted that the funding inadequately supports developmental outcomes or removes participation barriers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Catherine Liddle emphasised the vital role Aboriginal community-controlled organisations play in providing early years services and that, despite their strong engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, these organisations are underfunded and struggle to remain sustainable. While welcoming the government’s two-year extension of CCCFR funding, Catherine called for large-scale reforms and the adoption of recommendations from the Productivity Commission’s A Path to Universal Early Childhood Education and Care report. She urged for a dedicated funding model for Aboriginal community-controlled organisations to ensure their long-term viability.

The review recommended revising the CCCFR program to align with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, focusing on self-determination and strengthening the community-controlled sector. It also suggested co-designing an alternate funding model with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives to better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood education and care services.

For full details, read our media release and the linked news stories below.
View Media Release

Article: Changes needed for Aboriginal children to thrive – Indigenous Business News (published 24 October)

Excerpt:

Catherine Liddle, chief executive of SNAICC, the National Voice for our Children, said the report acknowledges the important role of supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to access education and care and the need for governments to better fund and support these services.
“Many of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services funded by the grant operate in remote communities where there are significant barriers to providing ECEC and where the benefits for accessing early childhood services will produce the greatest benefit,” Ms Liddle said.
“Australian Child Care Career Options (ACCO) go beyond the mainstream approach to childcare, offering connection, accountability and providing holistic wrap around support for children and extended families because that’s what’s needed in these communities.

Read the full article

Article: Review finds education and care model changes needed to enable First Nations children to thrive – NIT (published 21 October)

Excerpt:

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children chief executive, Catherine Liddle, said the report acknowledged the role of Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) in supporting First Nations children’s access to early childhood education and care (ECEC).
She said there was a need for the government to better fund and support these services.
“Many of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services funded by the CCCFR grant operate in remote communities where there are significant barriers to providing ECEC and where the benefits for accessing early childhood services will produce the greatest benefit,” Ms Liddle said.
“ACCOs go beyond the mainstream approach to childcare, offering connection, accountability and providing holistic wrap-around support for children and extended families because that’s what’s needed in these communities.”

Read the full article

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