A national report has found the number of First Nations children in out of home care is continuing to grow and Australia is on track to fail a key closing the gap target. SNAICC, the peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, says a return of child protection services to First Nations control is needed.
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00:00 A chance to grow up safe, healthy, connected to culture and community, slipping further
00:07 out of reach, according to a new report.
00:11 For eight years, the National Voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children has tracked
00:16 the representation of First Nations kids in out-of-home care.
00:20 In 2016, it found Aboriginal children were nine times more likely to be in care than
00:25 non-Indigenous children.
00:27 That figure has increased nearly every year, and now Aboriginal children are ten times
00:32 more likely to be removed from their homes.
00:35 While the proportion of those living with First Nations carers has dropped significantly.
00:40 Most of our children come into care because of neglect, not because of abuse, and that's
00:44 because of poverty, high levels of poverty.
00:47 The report projects Australia remains likely to miss, and in fact go backwards on a key
00:51 close-the-gap target to reduce over-representation of First Nations children in out-of-home
00:57 care by 45 per cent by 2031.
01:01 Every time governments approach a solution, that solution, because it is a government-led
01:06 solution, it is oriented towards non-Indigenous children and families.
01:12 It is more successful for non-Indigenous families, and our kids and our families get left behind.
01:17 State and territory watchdogs are calling for a national commissioner for Aboriginal
01:21 and Torres Strait Islander children.
01:24 To ensure that the voice of the Aboriginal child is brought into the fold of policy development.
01:31 The federal government says it's committed to working with the sector.
01:35 A growing chorus hoping to be heard.
01:38 [BLANK_AUDIO]