The Department of Families Housing Community Services and Indigenous Affairs has engaged the consultants KPMG to develop a set of Out of Home Care Standards for consideration by state and territory Community Services' Ministers.

The development of National Standards is part of the first three year action plan of the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2009-2020, which was endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments on 30 April 2009.  All state and territory governments have agreed to collaborate in the development of National Standards.

KPMG will start work immediately on the review of current standards, policies and practices in out-of-home care to develop best practice National Standards.

The consultancy project will include:

• A review of current standards, policies and practices in out-of-home care across Australia, as well as a survey of international best practice;
• National consultations with government and non-government service providers, children, young people, their families and carers who have experienced out-of-home care; and
• Recommending a single set of national standards.

There are 9,070 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out of home care in Australia representing 29.1 % of the total (Child Protection Australia 2007-08 AIHW.) The needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out of home care must therefore be a central concern as national standards are being developed.

KPMG is scheduled to finalise consultations on the National Standards by mid-February and provide a final report with new National Standards  to FaHCSIA by the end of April 2010.

SNAICC has called for National Standards for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Out of Home Care for many years reflecting part of the meaning of Recommendation 44 of the Bringing Them Home report which reads:

That the Council of Australian Governments negotiate with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care and the National Aboriginal and Islander Legal Services Secretariat national legislation binding on all levels of government and on Indigenous communities, regions or representative organisations which take legal jurisdiction for Indigenous children establishing minimum standards of treatment for all Indigenous children (national standards legislation).

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Report, Bringing them Home Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families April 1997

SNAICC will seek to represent the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the development of National Standards for Out of Home Care by contributing to the development of National Standards by FaHCSIA.

Please email your comments and questions to Julie Higgins.