Indigenous Care Leavers in Australia: a National Scoping Study

INDIGENOUS CARE LEAVERS IN AUSTRALIA: A NATIONAL SCOPING STUDY Monash University Department of Social Work Monash IndiGenous Studies Centre SNAICC – National Voice for Our Children 1 We would like to acknowledge the people of the Kulin Nations on whose lands Monash University stands, and pay our respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the Countries right around Australia, where children have been removed from Indigenous nations. We acknowledge that the children whose lives are being discussed in this report come from Indigenous nations and countries across Australia. We acknowledge the work done within these communities to support connections to kin and country and keep families together. 2 Indigenous Care Leavers in Australia: A National Scoping Study Final Report August 2020 Philip Mendes Rachel Standfield Bernadette Saunders Samone McCurdy Jacinta Walsh Lena Turnbull Emily Armstrong Department of Social Work, Monash University Monash Indigenous Studies Centre, Monash University SNAICC: A National Voice for Our Children 3 Table of Contents List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ................................................................................... 7 Partnerships & Research Team .......................................................................................... 8 Partnership with SNAICC: National Voice for our Children .......................................................... 8 Sidney Myer Fund ...................................................................................................................... 9 Victorian Commissioner - AboriGinal Youth and Children ........................................................... 9 Participants .............................................................................................................................. 10 Ethical commitment statement ................................................................................................. 11 Research Team ......................................................................................................................... 11 Ethical Principles ....................................................................................................................... 12 Executive Summary .......................................................................................................... 14 Summary of Main Findings ........................................................................................................ 15 Policy Recommendations .......................................................................................................... 18 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 20 Part One: Grey Literature Review: 2010-2020 .................................................................. 28 Commonwealth/National publications ..................................................................................... 28 Australian Capital Territory publications ................................................................................... 31 New South Wales publications .................................................................................................. 31 Northern Territory publications ................................................................................................ 34 Queensland publications ........................................................................................................... 38 South Australia publications ..................................................................................................... 41 Victoria publications ................................................................................................................. 43 Western Australia publications ................................................................................................. 45 Discussion ................................................................................................................................. 47 Part Two: Review of International scholarly literature ..................................................... 48 New Zealand ............................................................................................................................. 48 United States of America .......................................................................................................... 50 Canada ..................................................................................................................................... 50 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 51 Part Three: Methods ........................................................................................................ 53 Aims ......................................................................................................................................... 53 Recruitment .............................................................................................................................. 54 Sample ...................................................................................................................................... 54 Data Collection ......................................................................................................................... 55 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 57 4 Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 57 Part Four: Findings ........................................................................................................... 59 Theme One: Data ...................................................................................................................... 59 Nationwide data on the numbers of Indigenous care leavers and specified funding per state and territory .................................................................................................................................................................... 60 Data issues .................................................................................................................................................. 61 Comments on Data ..................................................................................................................................... 63 Summary ..................................................................................................................................................... 65 Theme Two: FundinG ................................................................................................................. 66 Insufficient funding overall and minimal funding specifically for the Indigenous cohort ........................... 66 ACCO funding - Scarce to none ................................................................................................................... 68 NGO funding - Minimal Accountability ....................................................................................................... 69 Inconsistency in funding between regions ................................................................................................. 69 ACT Model .................................................................................................................................................. 70 Summary ..................................................................................................................................................... 71 Theme Three: Policies ............................................................................................................... 72 Changing space ........................................................................................................................................... 72 Home Stretch .............................................................................................................................................. 74 Policy Strengths .......................................................................................................................................... 75 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (ATSICPP) ................................................ 75 Summary ..................................................................................................................................................... 76 Theme Four: Cultural Plans ....................................................................................................... 77 Cultural plans are important ....................................................................................................................... 77 Cultural Plans are done poorly or not at all ................................................................................................ 78 The importance of Indigenous led cultural planning .................................................................................. 80 Summary ..................................................................................................................................................... 83 Theme Five: Transition Plans ..................................................................................................... 84 Good Transition Plans ................................................................................................................................

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