It’s child protection week this week, and NAAFLS hosted a morning tea to bring together services that care for and protect children.
Historically, the response for Aboriginal children needing protection has been removal from their families. This has led to 9 out of 10 children in care in the NT being Aboriginal, and what many are calling another stolen generation. We need to act fast, and we need to act now.
A shining light on the bleak landscape of Aboriginal child protection is a kinship care program called Children Safe Family Together designed by the Tangentyere Council.
This morning we heard from two kinship care providers: Minbani Bebe program from Larrakia Nation and the Aboriginal Kinship Care Program from NT Stolen Generation.
Georgina Adams from the NT Stolen Generation said “this model acknowledges that children are best placed in their family homes, and it is critical that all potential strategies and active efforts support the preservation of families to prevent the need for removal. In instances where child removal is necessary, timely family reunification is always the best and most desired outcome.”
Trish Kurnoth from Larrakia Nation explained that “if we aren’t on the same page here, we can’t get this right. It’s important that Aboriginal organisations are involved in all aspects of children’s care. I believe this goes back to housing. If we don’t have a good house over our heads, how do we protect the children?”
Thanks to everyone who came today and to echo the words from NT NAPCAN manager Meron Looney, we need to keep having these conversations over and over again until every child in every community gets the attention and investment they deserve.
