Family Matters Report 2024 Data Snapshot

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. 

The Family Matters Report 2024 Data Snapshot shows: 

• 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 
• 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. 

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.