SA commits nearly $17 million to child protection system

The South Australian Government has committed an additional $16.6 million to South Australia’s child protection system with a focus on best practice approaches to keep children safe within their family unit and Aboriginal led initiatives that will provide the foundations for transformational change.

Across the forward estimates, $13.4 million will significantly expand and deepen the successful Family Group Conferencing (FGC) program, where a child’s extended family is brought together to find solutions to keep children safely at home.

This voluntary process is led by families and provides an opportunity for family and community members to come together, with resources support, and make decisions that support the safety and best interests of the child or young person.

Recognising the unacceptable over representation of Aboriginal children in care and the commitment of all jurisdictions to do better, the investment will include targeted efforts to support Aboriginal children and their families to stay together, through Aboriginal led decision-making for Aboriginal children, young people, families and communities.

As a result the State Government is also leading the nation in committing $3.2 million to establish an independent Aboriginal community controlled peak body designed to empower the Aboriginal community to ensure measures are in place to improve care and protection outcomes for Aboriginal children and young people.

This investment follows the long-standing advocacy by the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People and Aboriginal community leaders, which culminated in the State Government engaging SNAICC – the national Peak Body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people – to undertake a community-led process to identify a preferred model for the peak body in South Australia.

The peak body will partner with government to try to reduce the over representation of Aboriginal children and young people across the child protection system, including those in care.

It will also have a role in strengthening the Aboriginal community-controlled sector, recognising that Aboriginal people and organisations are best placed to provide culturally safe and effective services for Aboriginal children and families.

The new funding adds to the more than $155 million committed to the State’s child protection system since last year’s State Election.