Child abuse & neglect

The following page contains edited items with links from SNAICC Online News, SNAICC e-bulletin and SNAICC policy papers relating to national initiatives directed at stopping child abuse and neglect. SNAICC welcomes your comments and feedback. Follow the links for more detail on each item.

For related material see also pages:

News Articles summarised and linked below include:

SNAICC submission on National Standards for Out of Home Care
The Aboriginal Child Placement Principle puts children’s safety first - SNAICC media release 10 Feb 2010 [PDF 241 KB]

National approach to preventing child abuse and neglect

10 Point National Action Plan
News and developments in chronologicai order taken from SNAICC Online News
Policy and briefing papers on a National Approach to Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect
Previous media releases, and comment and analysis
Reforming out-of-home care: a new model for foster care

A national approach to preventing child abuse and neglect

For many years, SNAICC has witnessed 'emergencies', failures and systematic inadequacies in state and territory child protection and child welfare policies involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families. Over 7,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are under care and protection orders across Australia, a rate seven times higher than for other children. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are also placed in out-of-home care at a disproportionately higher rate than for other children in Australia: in 2006–2007 the rate was 8 times higher.

SNAICC has called for national standards since its inaugural Statement of Purpose in 1981, a national approach to preventing child abuse and neglect – not just for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, but for all Australian children. The SNAICC 10 Point National Action Plan was developed as a response to the NT Federal Intervention based on principles and priorities in the full briefing paper 'Developing a National Action Plan & National Indigenous Children’s Taskforce to prevent child abuse'

2009 National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children

In March 2009 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) endorsed The 2009 National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2009 – 2020 with the current first three year action plan 2009 - 2012 now being rolled out. This action plan is a step in the right direction, however SNAICC hopes the roll-out will strengthen the priority of Closing the Gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

SNAICC is actively involved in the dialogue around these developments and is a key partner in the Coalition of Organisations Committed to the Safety and Wellbeing of Australia's Children and participation in the Common Approach to Assessment, Referral and Support (CAARS) Project.

Policy papers on a national approach to preventing child abuse and neglect

News and developments (with links to full stories)

HACS e-News online: Hunter Aboriginal Children's Service starts off their first online e-News with a bang as they review recent developments in NSW about the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle.
PMG Consultations begin on the national out of home care standards 17 Feb–10 March 2010. Dates and venues
The Aboriginal Child Placement Principle puts children’s safety first (11 February 2010) - SNAICC media release in response to media comments about the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle The Aboriginal Child Placement Principle – a policy to protect Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children’s connections to their family and culture – should not be blamed for the failures of child protection systems to keep children safe in foster care,” See also SNAICC CEO letter to the editor on the failure of the Child Protection system in the NT (9 Februaruy 2009)– SNAICC CEO letter in response to an Australian news editorial.
A National Standards for Out of Home Care consultation is underway 29 January 2010. Your comments on national standards for out of home care for children are needed. The National Standards for Out of Home Care are being developed under the Australian Government’s National Child Protection Framework, and will be finalised this year. A KPMG consultation paper on the national standards is available online: The deadline for feedback is 5pm 26 March 2010. SNAICC will be preparing a submission and welcomes any feedback or comments by 19 March 2010.
According to Child Protection Australia 2008-09, there were 10,512 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out of home care at 30 June 2009. This represented a placement rate of 44.8 per 1,000 children, compared to the 4.9 per 1,000 non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
NT government launches inquiry into child protection system 13 November 2009 The Northern Territory Minister for Child Protection, Malarndirri McCarthy, has launched an Inquiry into the child protection system in the NT. SNAICC welcomes the new Inquiry and the inclusion of Professor Muriel Bamblett AM, former SNAICC Chairperson, on the Board of Inquiry. "SNAICC has long called for an inquiry into the child protection system" said Frank Hytten, SNAICC’s Executive Officer. "However, it is clear that investing at the community level should be the highest priority, as there is overwhelming need to prevent neglect and abuse. Together, we need to stem the flow of kids from communities into child protection. Supporting Aboriginal organisations in remote communities as the first line of defence against the abuse of children should be the cornerstone of any approach to Aboriginal child protection."
The development of Out of Home Care Standards (20 October 2009) for consideration by state and territory Community Services' Ministers has been commissioned by the Department of Families Housing Community Services and Indigenous Affairs using consultants KPMG. FaHCSIA has appointed KPMG to run the Australia wide consultations on the National Out of Home Care Standards early in the new year. SNAICC members attending the SNAICC policy forum in Adelaide November 2009 briefly outlined some of their key concerns with KPMG consultants and look forward to a full consultation with KPMG in the coming months, where questions and answers can be fully canvassed. SNAICC is currently preparing a submission for the consultations.
Common Approach to Assessment, Referral and Support (CAARS) Project The taskforce is to promote a shared responsibility for the prevention of child abuse and neglect and help develop a common approach to assessment and referral; and an improved mechanism for information sharing.
Queensland Combined Voices 4 August 2009: This National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day six key Queensland groups launched the Combined Voices campaign to better lobby the Queensland government on behalf of our children.
Inquiry into national family violence laws launched 27 July 2009. The Commonwealth Attorney-General has commissioned the Australian Law Reform Commission to conduct an inquiry addressing violence against women and their children. A key intention is support making family violence and child protection laws consistent across all state, territory and federal jurisdictions. The final report is due to the Attorney-General by 31 July 2010.
The impact of incarceration on Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander children 22 July 2009: SNAICC supports the recommendations of the recent National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee of the Australian National Council on Drugs report on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment, but would argue however, that Government response to incarcerations need to be more preventative, culturally appropriate and child focused, working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and family based organisations.
COAG National Child Protection Framework - 'Just the Beginning' (30 April 2009)
SNAICC's response to the National Child Protection Framework public consultation (14 July 2008) SNAICC Response Paper to the federal government's discussion paper Australia’s Children: safe and well – A national framework for protecting Australia’s children.

SNAICC welcomes COAG commitments on Indigenous disadvantage and child protection (9 July 2008) SNAICC has welcomed COAG's commitment to tackling Indigenous disadvantage and to co-operate in child protection matters, but questions the linking of welfare payments to families accessing support services.
Discussion paper for public comment: National framework for protecting Australia's children (3 June 2008)
Developing a National Child Protection Framework (16 April 2008) SNAICC is working with a coalition of children’s and families’ organisations and the federal government to develop a National Child Protection Framework.
SNAICC & NSW child welfare agencies partnering to reform child protection (13 March 2009) and related article, developing the SNAICC Service Development, Cultural Respect and Service Access Policy. [PDF 165 KB]
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children still over-represented in child protection system: 04 February 2009 The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare latest report on child protection in Australia.
Australian Government Moves on National Child Protection Plan Welcomed (31 January 2008) SNAICC has writtent directly to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklint calling on them to raise with state and territory governments the need to begin planning for a National Approach to Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect (December 2007)
Coalition of Organisations Committed to the Safety and Wellbeing of Australia's Children (02 January 2009) A coalition of over 60 community sector organisations pushes for a national framework for protecting Australia’s children finalised and agreed by all governments by March. The Council of Australian Governments, COAG, has agreed to establish the national framework with government officials in close discussion with a ten member coordinating group from the community sector coalition.

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Previous media releases, and comment and analysis

Time for national laws to place Australia's first children first' – Comment by Muriel Bamblett, SNAICC Chairperson, 14 December 2007
'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children – Time for a National Strategy' Media Statement 17 May 2006

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Reforming out-of-home care

Where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children must be removed from their families for their safety, that they are cared for in culturally appropriate settings that maintain their connections with their community, family and culture. This must be incorporated into a national approach to preventing child abuse and neglect assists Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in their efforst to stop and prevent child abuse and neglect.

Stable and culturally strong out-of-home care

SNAICC's policy on out-of-home care identifies the child's ability to maintain their connections to their family, culture and community as integral to their identity and their rights.

Achieving Stable and Culturally Strong Out of Home Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children

The 'third way'

At the end of 2007, SNAICC Chairperson Muriel Bamblett called for a radical overhaul of the foster care system in all states and territories in Australia:

The model of foster care we operate in Australia is wrong. It is wrong for all children it is wrong for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It is based on a false dichotomy. That a child is either with, and raised by, their birth family or by a foster family. SNAICC, the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care, argues that children can and should be raised by both. There is a third way:

Place children with a well supported, resourced and trained foster family to ensure children are not at risk of abuse or neglect.

Set up a community visitors program and coordinate visits between the community and the child.

Don't bounce kids around between foster care placements and home.

Support foster families to raise children with the birth family – not for the birth family.

Reinforce the message that families have to raise their children well.

Train the magistrates to administer the law correctly.

Provide community services to heal the victims. Insist at every level, family, community and within the justice system that abuse is intolerable and will be severely punished.

See 'Time for national laws to place Australia's first children first' by Muriel Bamblett, SNAICC Chairperson, 14 December 2007.

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