From late March 2021 until the end of April 2021, SNAICC conducted a series of national consultations to guide the co-design of the successor framework to the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s
Children (the ‘successor plan’).
This consultation report provides details on the consultation process and feedback from participants.
The successor plan aims to substantively improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, to urgently counter increasing numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children entering out-of-home care. Many of these children are being permanently placed away from their family, often with non-Indigenous carers, and are not being reunified with family.
SNAICC thanks all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, families and experts who gave their time and insights to make this a rich and valuable consultation process and informative report.
SNAICC also thanks all non-Indigenous people who participated and have helped inform those processes and policies that will help keep our children and families safe.
Consultation process
Consultations took various forms, including jurisdictional knowledge circles with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; invited written submissions from key experts, including Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) and non-Indigenous organisations; as well as surveys open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous peoples with a vested interest in child protection issues that impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families, and communities.
This consultation guide details the process, thinking and background that informed the co-design model.
Community participation and leadership was central to the plan’s development, recognising that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges are the primary means to achieve structural change.
The voices, experiences and insights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, children, communities, and community-controlled services are to be reflected through a dedicated focus and targeted strategies.
A strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance structure improves oversight and ensure transparency in meeting the plan’s agreed outcomes.
The successor plan focuses on governments’, services’ and communities’ efforts to achieve the target to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by 45% by 2031. (National Agreement on Closing the Gap)
Significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community wisdom and insights have already been gathered through recent co-design processes and inquiries.
While SNAICC led consultations to ensure community voices are central to the plan’s development, ultimately governments have the responsibility to create a plan that hears and responds to the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and implements the changes that we know are needed to improve outcomes for our children.
SNAICC is working to hold governments to account for their commitments and to ensure that the plan supports our children to thrive in connection with family, community and culture.
