The third annual Family Matters Report was publicly released in Canberra yesterday, 17th October 2019. The report again highlights the escalating crisis of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being over-represented in Australian child protection systems. The report shows a growing trend towards permanent placement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children away from kin, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children now over ten times more likely to be removed from their families than non-Indigenous children, and seven times more likely to be on a permanent care order. According to Richard Weston, CEO of SNAICC and Co-Chair of the Family Matters Campaign, this trend is placing children at serious risk of permanent separation from their families, cultures and communities. Read more.
