Page 484 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 20 February 2019
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the highest rate of child protection reports for Indigenous children. Minister, can you explain why Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Canberra are four times more likely to end up the subject of a child protection report, and what is the government doing to address this issue?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mr Milligan for the question. Of course the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in child protection reporting and engagement with the child protection system and out of home care is a national challenge. I recognise that the ACT figures, like the national figures, are unacceptable. That is why I announced in June 2017 a review into the circumstances of each Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and young person involved in the child protection system, including those in out of home care.
The Our Booris, Our Way review has a focus on systemic improvements needed to reduce the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people entering care, to improve their experience and outcomes while in care and, where appropriate, to exit children from care. Members will be aware that an interim report was released on 31 August and a final report is due in late 2019.
In keeping with the iterative nature of the review, the directorate has received interim recommendations which include themes in the areas of cultural proficiency of child and youth protection staff, implementation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child placement principles within policy and practice, and access to family group conferencing for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families within the statutory system.
As I mentioned in response to an earlier question we have implemented a family group conferencing program for Aboriginal and Toreros Strait Islander families, and I understand that that is having very good success in enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to understand their own challenges and to find their own solutions to keeping children safe at home, where they can, or in their broader kinship networks. We have committed funding in the budget to extend that. We have also committed funding in the budget review for some additional early responses to the Our Booris, Our Way review.
MR MILLIGAN: Minister, why have you allowed the rates of Indigenous children in out of home care to double under your watch?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I am not convinced that the premise of the question is right. I do not think that in the past two years the rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out of home care have doubled in the ACT. However, taking the premise of your question in good faith, I have already said some things about what we are doing to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children can stay with their birth families, where it is safe to do so, or with their extended families. I would note that the ACT has the second highest rate in the country of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living with kin, rather than in foster care.
In addition to our family group conferencing investment of $1.43 million in the 2018-19 budget and our investment in the budget review in the initial implementation
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