Earlier this month, I met with Leata Clarke, SA Family Matters Campaign Convenor and Rob Martin, Chief Executive Officer at Child and Family Focus SA to show my support and commitment towards decreasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in out-of-home care.
I signed the Family Matters Statement of Commitment as a way of showing my support for keeping our Aboriginal children safe in family, community and culture.
Below are the highlights of this campaign and the strategic alliances being developed across Australia to improve Aboriginal children’s safety and wellbeing.
Commissioner Helen Connolly has offered her support to a national commitment to work towards decreasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in out-of-home care.
The Commissioner signed the Family Matters Statement of Commitment as a demonstration of a further commitment to collaborative with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their organisations to ensure Aboriginal children grow up safe and cared for in family, community and their culture.
The statement reflects the intent to work collaboratively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their organisations to achieve the goal of the Family Matters campaign. Family Matters is the national campaign for eliminating the disproportionate representation of our children in statutory child protection systems in Australia by 2040.
The State of Commitment echoes the Commissioner’s own role to act in the best interests of all children and young people and have particular regard for Aboriginal children and young people and those who are vulnerable for any reason.
The Statement of Commitment is an initiative of Family Matters, a national campaign to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people grow up safe and cared for in family, community and their culture.
The Family Matters Statement of Commitment has six principles:
- Applying a child focussed approach
- Ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations participate in and have control over decisions that affect their children
- Protecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s right to live in culture
- Pursuing evidence based responses
- Supporting, healing and strengthening families
- Challenging systemic racism and inequalities.
The Family Matters Statement of Commitment continues to garner support. Current support includes:
102 organisations, 32 state, territory and federal parliamentarians, 9 children’s commissioners, advocates and guardians.
For more information about the Statement of Commitment or the Family Matters campaign, visit the Family Matters website at http://www.familymatters.org.au/
