It has been 10 years since COAG’s Closing the Gap strategy began. In that time, only three of the seven national targets are reported as being on track and four are due to expire in 2018. COAG is currently undertaking the Closing the Gap ‘refresh’ process. This process is a unique opportunity to influence the next phase of the CTG agenda, which will form the framework over the next 10 years for all Australian governments to advance outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It will also provide the framework for how government funding is prioritised to meet the targets.
SNAICC’s Key Calls
We have a shared responsibility to ensure the right of every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child to be safe and thrive in family, community and culture. To achieve this:
- an additional Closing the Gap target should be included to eliminate the overrepresentation of our children in out-of-home care by 2040, with sub-targets that address the underlying causes of child protection intervention; and
- the current Closing the Gap target on early childhood education should be strengthened to encompass early childhood development and expanded to close the gap in outcomes for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from birth to 4 years by 2030.
