New Sydney Project To Lower Numbers of Indigenous Kids In Child Protective Services

A new project is being trialled with the aim of lowering the amount of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Sydney from entering child protective services.

The federally funded project was chosen from a variety of different proposals via Inner Sydney Empowered Communities (ISEC), an alliance of Aboriginal service organisations within the Redfern and La Perouse areas in inner Sydney.

The La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council (LPLALC), based in La Perouse in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, will operate the project through their Stronger Families Service Model.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said that the aim of LPLALC’s project is to help Indignous families stay together, and bring families back together.

“This trial will see the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council work with local families who are at risk of having a child enter the child protection system, as well as families where the goal is reunification,” said Rishworth in a statement on Friday December 3.

“All children deserve to be raised in an environment free of abuse and neglect, and this trial will see at-risk children and their families get the support they need to grow up safe and connected.”

Why the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council project is needed

At present, Indigenous children are 12 times more likely to become connected with child protective services than non-Indigenous children.

“Our Government is determined to see this rate reduce,” said Rishworth.

The La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council project aims to help children who face serious harm in the home or in out-of-home care. It will deliver services that keep Indigenous children stay connected to their families, as well as stay connected with their culture and local community.

Child protective services project part of Closing the Gap targets

The Albanese government is contributing $1.39 million to the project, as a part of federal government’s Closing the Gap targets.

The project is funded through the Closing the Gap Outcomes and Evidence Fund which is trialling approaches aimed at the Closing the Gap Targets.

This is part of Target 12, which is to reduce the rate of over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by 45 per cent by 2031.

The 12 targets

The National Agreement on Closing the Gap is made up of of 17 targets which aim to lessen socioeconomic disparity and inequity experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and improve outcomes in health, safety, housing and more.