National Sorry Day

On National Sorry Day we acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities.

We honour the Stolen Generations and call attention to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who are still being removed, at a rate 11 times higher than non-Indigenous kids.

The rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids being removed from families has tripled in the last 15 years. It's now 11 times higher than non-Indigenous kids.

Graph shows trend of increasing removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

1 in 5 Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander kids are removed before they are 1 year old.
This rate is 10 times higher than non-Indigenous kids.

Table shows increased rate of removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children compared to non-Indigenous children

Led by Professor Cath Chamberlain, a team of eminent researchers and health care workers outline 10 systemic failures and issued an urgent call to action using the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child placement principles.

5 placement principles

1. Prevention: Redesign maternity and neonatal services to ensure all parents have access to culturally responsive, trauma-integrated, experienced support during pregnancy, birth and early postpartum

2. Partnership: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities must drive the development and implementation of culturally embedded models of care for new and expectant parents

3. Placement: Where more intensive support is needed, all alternatives to removing the child must be explored. Including practical, timely & active support to address risks associated with structural inequities & socioeconomic deprivation, such as housing

4. Participation: Parents, families and communities must be at the centre of child protection decision making Discussions & decision making must be transparent & open

5. Connection: Where infants are removed, it’s vital to ensure ongoing support for parents and families to strengthen relationships, address identified concerns and enable timely reunification

Culture remains a key feature of wellbeing and resilience. Read the full paper here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajs4.200

This was originally shared as a Twitter thread on 26 January 2022.

Read the original Twitter thread here.