Family Matters Report 2024
Family Matters – Strong communities. Strong culture. Stronger children. is an annual publication that tracks progress towards ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people grow up safe, cared for and connected to their families, communities and culture. A key goal is to eliminate the over–representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by 2040.
Family Matters Report 2024 finds that child protection systems continue to fail Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, exposing them to ongoing harm and trauma. The data shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are grossly over-represented at every stage of the child protection system and that we are still a long way off from meeting Target 12 of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap to reduce the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children entering the out-of-home care system.
The key findings of Family Matters Report 2024 include:
- 22,908 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care, which represents 41% of all children in out-of-home care, despite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children making up only 6% of the total child population in Australia
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 10.8 times more likely to be in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children
- among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care:
- 41% are living with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander relatives or carers:
- 32.2% with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander relatives
- 22.1% with non-Indigenous relatives
- 8.9% with other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers
- 26.9% with non-Indigenous non-relative carers
- 9% in residential care
- 41% are living with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander relatives or carers:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 11.5 times more likely to be removed into out-of-home care as infants
- only 15% of government funding is spent on prevention, such as Family Support Services, the rest is spent on child protection and out-of-home care services
- only 6% of child protection funding is directed towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations.
A key focus of the Family Matters Report 2024 is the need for increased support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled services, with the report calling for increased funding for ACCO-led prevention programs. When our children interact with the child protection system, we must ensure they engage with and receive support from Aboriginal community-controlled services. To achieve this, the report calls on non-Indigenous non-government organisations to assist in the transition of service delivery to Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, ensuring our children can access the support they need. The report features three case studies from community-controlled organisations that effectively demonstrate the impact Aboriginal-led culturally safe wraparound services have on ensuring our children grow up strong in family and connected to culture and kin.
Family Matters Report 2024 recommendations include:
- increase funding for ACCO-led prevention programs and establish national integrated early years services, ensuring families have access to quality, culturally safe supports
- empower communities to control decisions affecting children by directing funding to ACCOs and implementing family-led decision-making models
- end the adoption of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from out-of-home care and implement national standards for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle
- improve accountability by creating peak bodies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in decision-making, establishing commissioners for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and improving data practices to better meet the needs of communities.
The Family Matters Report 2024 calls on all governments—in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples—to implement the recommendations presented in the report to ensure that our children grow up safe and cared for in family, community and culture, and connected to language and Country.
Family Matters Report 2024The Issue
Despite numerous legal and policy frameworks protecting the cultural rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, the issue is that the over-representation of our children in out-of-home care remains alarmingly high—nearly ten times that of non-Indigenous children—and this disparity continues to grow.
The IssueThe Solutions
The solutions are clear and have been called for by community for decades; a new approach that trusts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to handle Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business.
The SolutionsThe Child Placement Principle
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle is a framework designed to promote policy and practice that will reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the child protection system.
The Child Placement PrincipleFamily Matters 2024 Report Webinar
Content warning: SNAICC advises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that the following recording refers to an Aboriginal person who has passed. The recording also contains suicide references and other topics that may be triggering to Community and the general public. Your social and emotional safety is important. If this recording has brought up any concerns or issues for you, please contact 13YARN (13 32 16).
On Friday 6 December, SNAICC – National Voice for our Children hosted a live webinar to share key insights, findings, recommendations and case studies from the 2024 Family Matters Report 2024. In the webinar recording, you will hear from:
- Catherine Liddle, CEO, SNAICC – National Voice for our Children
- Associate Professor Paul Gray, University of Technology Sydney
- Theresa Simpson, CEO, Mookai Rosie Bi-Bayan
- Melanie Briggs, Senior Balaang Manager for Birthing on Country, Waminda
- Jamie Crosby, CEO, Families Australia
Watch the live recording for an engaging discussion on the 2024 Family Matters Report.
Family Matters Building Blocks & 2024 Recommendations
Building Block One
Building Block Two
Building Block Three
Building Block Four
The annual Family Matters report
The annual Family Matters Report examines government actions to address the over-representation and the outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in child protection systems. It highlights Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions and calls on governments to support and invest in the strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to lead on child wellbeing, development and safety responses for our children.
The Family Matters report highlights Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions and calls on governments to support and invest in the strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to lead on child wellbeing, development and safety responses for our children. The report also provides an opportunity to present and interpret data related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families from our perspective, challenging government interpretations and holding them accountable for their policies and actions.
Family Matters’ goal is to see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people grow up safe and cared for in family, community and culture with the aim to eliminate the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care within a generation (by 2040). The Family Matters Roadmap presents an evidence-based vision and clear strategies for fundamental change to policy and practice. The Roadmap calls on governments and non-government organisations to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to reverse negative trends and eliminate over-representation in out-of-home care within a generation, by 2040.
Key principles of Family Matters:
- applying a child-focused approach
- ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations participate in and have control over decisions that affect their children
- protecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s right to live in culture
- pursuing evidence-based responses
- supporting, healing and strengthening families
- challenging systemic racism and inequities.
Family Matters is led by SNAICC – National Voice for our Children and a group of eminent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders from across the country, and supported by a Strategic Alliance of over 150 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous organisations.
Through collaboration, policy advocacy, community engagement and the cultivation of resources and support, SNAICC empowers Family Matters to create meaningful and sustainable change, ultimately working towards the goal of providing a safe, nurturing and culturally rich environment for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to thrive within their families, communities and cultures.
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