New framework pushes shift to Aboriginal-led child protection

A major shift in Australia’s child protection landscape is gaining momentum, with SNAICC, National Voice for our Children calling on mainstream out-of-home care (OOHC) providers to commit to returning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to culture, community and kin.

The call follows the release of SNAICC’s Sector Transformation Principles Framework, a practical roadmap designed to support organisations to transition OOHC services to Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) and embed Aboriginal leadership at the centre of child and family service delivery.

The Framework is grounded in Australia’s national reform agenda, including Safe and Supported: The National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2021–2031, the First Action Plan 2023–2026, and the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

Together, these frameworks commit governments and the sector to shared decision-making, structural reform and strengthening the ACCO sector.

SNAICC has made clear that while policy settings are increasingly aligned, implementation across jurisdictions and providers has been inconsistent.

The new Framework seeks to address this gap by outlining what meaningful transformation looks like in practice, including the redistribution of power, funding and accountability to Aboriginal-led organisations to ensure children and families receive culturally grounded, self-determined support.

The urgency of reform remains significant.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continue to be dramatically over-represented in OOHC, with rates significantly higher than those of non-Indigenous children.

SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle has described this as a national crisis, reinforcing the need for structural change rather than incremental improvement.

Evidence consistently demonstrates that outcomes improve when children are supported by ACCOs, including:

• stronger cultural identity and connection

• safer and more sustainable reunification pathways

• increased likelihood of remaining connected to Country, kin and community

ACCOs bring cultural authority, local knowledge and community trust, elements widely recognised as critical to improving outcomes for Aboriginal children and families.

SNAICC notes that some large providers, including members of the Allies for Children network, have already begun transitioning Aboriginal children in their care to ACCOs.

These early shifts demonstrate that change is both possible and already underway.

The Framework provides clear guidance for organisations at different stages of the transition, outlining principles across:

• shared decision-making and governance reform

• cultural authority and community leadership

• workforce capability and cultural safety

• funding realignment and accountability

• monitoring, evaluation and continuous improvement led by Aboriginal communities

With these foundations now articulated, SNAICC has signalled that there is limited justification for maintaining systems that separate children from their cultural identity and community connections.

For mainstream OOHC providers, the message is direct: transformation is no longer optional. It is a responsibility aligned with national commitments, community expectations and a growing evidence base.

For governments, the Framework reinforces the need to fully implement existing commitments under Closing the Gap, particularly the Priority Reforms, which call for structural change rather than surface-level adjustments.

For the broader child and family services sector, the release marks a critical moment to shift from traditional models toward genuine partnership with Aboriginal organisations, supporting ACCOs to lead the systems that impact their children.

SNAICC’s Sector Transformation Principles Framework represents a significant and overdue shift toward Aboriginal-led child protection in Australia.

By centering self-determination, cultural authority and community control, the Framework sets a clear direction for a more equitable and effective system.

The challenge now lies in implementation, and in the willingness of providers, governments and the sector to act.

Read more on the SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, Sector Transformation Principles Framework and “New framework pushes major shift to Aboriginal-led child protection.