Children deserve belonging before bureaucracy

Relationships before services,
family before strangers,
voice before decisions
and connection before compliance.

Historically, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were denied these fundamental rights through policies and practices that separated children from their families, communities, cultures and Countries.

The impacts of these actions continue to be felt today - reflected in the ongoing over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in child protection and youth justice systems.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children thrive when they know who they are, where they come from and who stands beside them. When systems recognise that children exist within families, communities, cultures and places, not as isolated individuals, they shift from managing risk to nurturing wellbeing.

Allies for Children and the First Nations NGO Alliance call for the Government’s continued partnership in the full implementation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle as a rights-based framework that protects connection, strengthens self-determination and ensures children remain connected to the people, relationships and identities that provide safety, belonging and the strongest foundation for life.