“Like all children, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have the right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect, and in stable and supportive family and community environments. Each child’s wellbeing and ongoing best interests should be the priority of those who care for them. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who are harmed or at risk of harm and in need of alternative care, their protection is our priority. For children who are placed in out-of-home care, stability of relationships and identity are vitally important to their wellbeing and must be promoted. In recent years, state and territory child protection authorities have increasingly used a range of case management measures that seek to promote stability through longer-term care arrangements for children.
These vary in detail in each jurisdiction but are often broadly described as permanency planning. A number of jurisdictions have sought to entrench these measures in legislation. The overt rationale for reform has been to provide children in care with “safe, continuous and stable care arrangements, lifelong relationships and a sense of belonging.” The following document outlines QATSICPP in partnership with SNAICC’s position on ‘Achieving stability for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care’. ADD A LINK TO PDF”
QATSICPP
Child Protection Peak
