SNAICC in the News – Out-of-home care for First Nations children transitioned to Aboriginal organisations, Wakwakurna Kanyini launch & Connected Beginnings
The week of 23 September 2024 includes coverage of Allies for Children commitment to transfer out-of-home care for First Nations children to Aboriginal organisations, Wakwakurna Kanyini launch & Connected Beginnings site in Bairnsdale.
This week, Australia’s major child and family care organisations have committed to transition control of out-of-home care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to Aboriginal community-controlled organisations. The decision, made by founding members of Allies for Children, is based on evidence showing that community-led solutions achieve better outcomes for our children and families. The commitment includes ensuring the effective reunification of children with community, avoiding competition for government funding, and prioritising referrals to Aboriginal organisations. Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC, emphasised the need for resources to support this transition, marking it as a bold step in addressing systemic issues highlighted in the Closing the Gap priority reforms.
Newly formed Aboriginal community-controlled peak body, Wakwakurna Kanyini, was launched in South Australia this week. The organisation aims to combat the high rates of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care and promote cultural empowerment. Developed through community consultation and supported by SNAICC, it is poised to ensure that children’s needs are met in a culturally appropriate manner.
The Australian Government announced the expansion of the Connected Beginnings program to Bairnsdale this week, with over $2 million allocated for its implementation by the Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative. The program will support around 100 local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged zero to five, focusing on ensuring school readiness through integrated early childhood education, health services, and family support. This expansion is part of a broader $81.8 million investment to increase Connected Beginnings sites to 50 across Australia.
SNAICC is leading a public consultation to develop a standalone National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Safety Plan, addressing the critical issue of family violence affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children. The consultation invites community input to shape the plan, ensuring it reflects the lived experiences and needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. More detailed information on the public submission process is available, this includes a discussion paper that can be used to support all responses to the public submission process. The public submissions process is open now until 11:59pm AEST on Friday 25 October 2024. To share your views and experiences, you can upload a written or audio submission here.
For complete coverage, read the news and media stories linked below.
Topic: Out-of-home care for First Nations children to be transitioned to Aboriginal organisations
This week, Australia’s major child and family care organisations have committed to transition control of out-of-home care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.
The Australian child protection system is undergoing a significant transformation, with major child and family care organisations around Australia committing to handing over control of out-of-home care for First Nations children to Aboriginal community-controlled organisations. The decision has been made by founding members of Allies for Children, who have been driven by evidence that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-led solutions result in better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
The commitment has several key elements: first, there is a dedication to the effective transition and reunification of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care to Aboriginal community-control organisations and services. Second, mainstream organisations have pledged not to compete for government funding in areas where Aboriginal community-controlled organisations should be providing services. Third, Allies for Children will collaborate with peak bodies, Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and state governments to ensure that referrals of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care prioritise support from Aboriginal community-controlled organisations instead of mainstream services wherever possible.
Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC, said the evidence from reports like Family Matters is that community-controlled organisations provide the best outcomes for children and families and have greater successes in reunifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with family as they are an intrinsic part of community. She said that the Allies for Children’s commitment was a bold first step, but it would require adequate resources to ensure Aboriginal community-controlled services were ready. Catherine noted that the Closing the Gap priority reforms brought attention to the need for systemic change, and this is the first real step in that direction.
Claire Robbs, CEO of Life Without Barriers, noted that the shift will mean NGOs will defer to Aboriginal community-controlled organisations in decision-making processes concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, aligning with the understanding that children have the right to grow up in their community and culture. The commitment also includes measures to avoid competition for government funding, thereby empowering Aboriginal organisations in the process.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continue to be over-represented in the out-of-home care system, with the 2023 Family Matters report finding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were 10.5 times more likely to be in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children. The landmark decision to hand control over represents a crucial step towards improving the welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care.
For complete coverage, read the news and media stories linked below.
Article: Out-of-home care for Indigenous children to be all Aboriginal-controlled The Guardian (released 25 September)
Excerpt:
Catherine Liddle, the chief executive of SNAICC, said the evidence from reports like Family Matters is that community-controlled organisations “provide the best outcomes for children and families”.
“They have greater successes in reunifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with family, because they are an intrinsic part of community,” she said.
Liddle said the commitment from the Allies for Children organisations was a “bold” first move, which would need appropriate resources to ensure community controlled services had what they needed to be ready.
“The government hasn’t made a change as bold as this one,” she said.
Read the full article
Media Release: Historic commitment amplifies support for self-determination and ACCOs Life Without Barriers (released 25 September)
Excerpt:
Catherine Liddle, Chief Executive of SNAICC, said the commitment from the Allies for Children organisations was a bold first move, which would need appropriate resources to ensure community controlled services had what they needed to be ready.
“Community-controlled organisations provide the best outcomes for children and families. They have greater successes in reunifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with family, because they are an intrinsic part of community,” said Catherine.
“The government hasn’t made a change as bold as this one.”
“So, it starts with that type of catalyst. Do I think that there will be challenges for services as they go on this journey? Absolutely, there will be challenges for them, but it starts with the commitment, and they are committed, and this is a really good thing.”
“And what we now need is for governments to also lean into this and get it to help work with the community-controlled sector, to be ready and to be ready at the pace they need and with the resourcing that they need,” she said.
Read the full Media Release
Topic: Wakwakurna Kanyini launch
Wakwakurna Kanyini, a new Aboriginal community-controlled peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in South Australia, was launched this week to provide a strong voice for children and families.
Wakwakurna Kanyini will be the leading community voice for Aboriginal children in South Australia, guiding with cultural authority, upholding their rights to ensure that they grow up strong, with purpose and identity, in their families and connected to their community, culture, spirituality and Country. Wakwakurna is Kaurna language for children, while Kanyini is a Pitjantjatjara word with a complex meaning that loosely translates to interconnectedness, nurturing, holding and support for family, country and community. Inaugural CEO Ashum Owen emphasised the organisation’s commitment to transforming outcomes for children and families, with a focus on cultural empowerment and self-determination. The organisation aims to address alarming statistics, such as the high rate of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care, which highlight a systemic issue in child welfare in South Australia.
Wakwakurna Kanyini has been developed through a statewide, community-designed process, supported by SNAICC and driven by a steering committee of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives from the child and family services sector. Catherine Liddle emphasised the importance of Wakwakurna Kanyini in advocating for community-led priorities and ensuring that children grow strong in their culture and connected to family and community.
For complete coverage, read the news and media stories linked below.
Article: South Australian peak body for Indigenous youth launched as state continues to remove First Nations children at disproportionate rate NIT (released 25 September)
Excerpt:
SNAICC chief executive Catherine Liddle said: “This new peak will play a crucial role in representing community-led priorities to the South Australian government to ensure our children grow strong in culture and in their identity and connection to their families.”
Ms Owen said Wakwakurna Kanyini would be focused on strengthening the capacity of the Aboriginal community-controlled sector to “deliver vital services to our families in need of support”.
“This is integral to better enable the exercise of our right to self-determination,” she said.
The safety of Indigenous children in South Australia continues to remain at the forefront of concern, with the latest Closing the Gap data painting a horrific picture.
Read the full article
Topic: Connected Beginnings program expands to Bairnsdale
The Australian Government announced this week the expansion of the Connected Beginnings program with the Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-Operative to deliver the program in Bairnsdale.
On September 25, 2024, the Albanese Government announced an expansion of the Connected Beginnings program, aimed at ensuring that children in Victoria are school-ready. The program will receive over $2 million to fund its implementation by the Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-Operative in Bairnsdale, providing comprehensive support services to approximately 100 local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged zero to five.
Dr. Anne Aly, Minister for Early Childhood Education, spoke on the program’s importance, saying that all children should have access to the transformative benefits of quality early childhood education and care. Assistant Minister Ged Kearney praised the program’s community-driven approach, stating that Connected Beginnings is all about focusing voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and taking on a community-led approach to early childhood.
Catherine Liddle highlighted the program’s culturally integrated services, stating that through Connected Beginnings, more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families in Bairnsdale will receive maternal and child health, early childhood education, and family support. Kenton Winsley, CEO of Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative, praised the program’s holistic approach, stating that local families will be immediately connected to a variety of other services and that Connected Beginnings will allow the organisation to take that holistic, connected approach to the next level.
Connected Beginnings connects First Nations children with essential early childhood education, health services, and family support. With the addition of the Bairnsdale site, Connected Beginnings operates in 47 locations nationwide, supporting more than 23,000 First Nations children. Once fully operational in Victoria, the program is expected to benefit around 1,700 children statewide. This expansion is part of an $81.8 million government investment to increase Connected Beginnings sites to 50 across Australia. The program aims to significantly enhance early childhood education and health outcomes for our children, driving authentic progress in communities and ensuring they are ready for school.
For complete coverage, read the news and media linked below.
Article: Bairnsdale the latest community to benefit from Connected Beginnings program The Sector (released 26 September)
Excerpt:
Children and families living in the Victorian community of Bairnsdale will be the latest to benefit from the Connected Beginnings program which helps more First Nations children thrive in the crucial early years.
More than $2 million in funding was announced yesterday by Minister for Early Childhood Education Dr Anne Aly for the Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative (GEGAC) to deliver the program in Bairnsdale.
“We have long known that the strength of GEGAC’s Early Years services is that the families are immediately connected to the wide range of other services that GEGAC provides,” CEO Kenton Winsley said.
“Everything from maternal and child health services to medical and dental, counselling services, and cultural education events; here on site are the full range of supports our families need to raise healthy, deadly kids.”
Read the full article
Media Release: Ensuring First Nations children in Victoria are school ready (released 25 September)
Excerpt:
Children and families living in the Victorian community of Bairnsdale will be the latest to benefit from the Connected Beginnings program which helps more First Nations children thrive in the crucial early years.
More than $2 million in funding was announced yesterday by Minister for Early Childhood Education Dr Anne Aly for the Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative (GEGAC) to deliver the program in Bairnsdale.
“We have long known that the strength of GEGAC’s Early Years services is that the families are immediately connected to the wide range of other services that GEGAC provides,” CEO Kenton Winsley said.
“Everything from maternal and child health services to medical and dental, counselling services, and cultural education events; here on site are the full range of supports our families need to raise healthy, deadly kids.”
Read the full Media Release
Topic: Family Safety Plan public submissions
SNAICC is leading a crucial public consultation to design a standalone National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Safety Plan, aimed at addressing the alarming rates of family violence impacting First Nations women and children.
The Family Safety Plan invites submissions from community members, organisations and individuals. The consultation seeks to gather diverse perspectives on the solutions and priorities that will shape the plan, ensuring it reflects the lived experiences and needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Catherine Liddle has stressed the importance of inclusivity in this process, highlighting the need for voices from across the country to inform a plan that truly enhances safety for women and children. Steering Committee co-chair Muriel Bamblett echoed this, emphasising the critical role of community input in developing the Family Safety Plan.
More detailed information on the public submission process is available, this includes a discussion paper that can be used to support all responses to the public submission process.
The public submissions process is open now until 11:59pm AEST on Friday 25 October 2024. To share your views and experiences, you can upload a written or audio submission here.
For complete coverage, read the news and media linked below.
Article: Federal Government opens public consultation on Family Safety Plan (released 23 September)
Excerpt:
SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle wants to ensure that the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Safety Plan reflects “the needs and aspirations of our communities” and that it makes “a real difference in the safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”
“It’s vital we emphasise the importance of including voices from across the country, encompassing lived experiences, grassroots perspectives, organisations, and academics to inform a standalone plan to enhance safety for women and children,” Ms Liddle said.
Steering Committee co-chair Muriel Bamblett agreed, saying that it was important that community voices and experiences were prioritised as the national plan progressed.
“The standalone National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Safety Plan will be critical to increasing safety for our women and children, so we need to hear from a range of stakeholders,” Professor Bamblett said.
“We want to make sure all perspectives on the solutions, priorities and approaches have every opportunity to inform the National Plan, so it reflects the needs and aspirations of our communities.”
Read the full article