Principle Focus strengthens accountability for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Queensland

The Queensland Family and Child Commission's Principle Focus series continues to play an important role in monitoring how well Queensland's child protection system is upholding the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle.

The principle is a foundational safeguard designed to protect the rights, identity and cultural connections of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people who come into contact with the child protection system.

Developed as part of the QFCC's statutory monitoring and review functions, Principle Focus provides an evidence-based, system-level view of how the five elements of the principle,  Prevention, Partnership, Placement, Participation and Connection, are being implemented across Queensland.

The series highlights both progress and persistent gaps, offering a clear roadmap for reform and strengthening accountability across government and service systems.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle is more than a procedural requirement.

It is a rights-based framework that recognises the centrality of family, kin, culture and community to a child's wellbeing. It also reflects the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, self-determination, early support for families and the prevention of unnecessary separation.

Where children do enter care, the principle requires more than finding a placement. It requires active efforts to maintain children's lifelong connection to family, community, culture and Country.

While these expectations are embedded in Queensland legislation and national child protection standards, implementation remains inconsistent, a challenge the Principle Focus series seeks to examine and address.

Each edition of Principle Focus examines a specific element of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle, drawing on data, case reviews, community insights and frontline experience.

While findings differ across each focus area, several themes continue to emerge.

Prevention efforts remain uneven, with many families not receiving culturally safe support early enough to avoid statutory intervention. Partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations is improving, but remains limited in some critical decision-making processes.

Placement with kin also continues to be a challenge, particularly in urgent or complex cases. Children's participation in decisions about their lives remains inconsistent, despite legislative requirements, and cultural connection is not always actively supported, particularly for children placed with non-Indigenous carers.

Together, these insights provide a clear picture of where the system is working, where it is falling short and where reform must be strengthened.

Principle Focus is one of the QFCC's key mechanisms for strengthening transparency and accountability within Queensland's child protection system.

By examining how the principle is being applied in practice, the series helps hold government and service systems accountable for meeting their legislative and ethical obligations to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

It also amplifies the voices and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, identifies practical areas for improvement and supports continuous reform across the child protection sector.

For policymakers, practitioners and community-controlled organisations, the series provides a shared evidence base to drive culturally grounded change.

The QFCC's ongoing monitoring reinforces a clear message: meaningful change requires genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This includes greater investment in community-led early intervention, stronger kinship care pathways, cultural authority in decision-making, effective cultural support planning and a workforce equipped to deliver culturally safe practice.

As Queensland continues its child protection reform journey, Principle Focus remains an important mechanism for ensuring the system stays accountable to the children, families and communities it serves.

It's message is clear: improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children requires more than policy intent. It requires consistent, active and measurable implementation of the principle at every stage of the child protection system.

Access the Queensland Family and Child Commission's Principle Focus series here.