Queensland and Northern Territory Consider Child Protection Changes

Queensland and the Northern Territory are considering changes to child protection laws that could affect placement decisions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The proposals include replacing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle in the Northern Territory with a universal principle and considering adoption as a permanency option in Queensland.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle was established in the 1990s to prioritize keeping children with family, community, and culture. It was developed after the Stolen Generations period, when between one in 10 and one in three Indigenous children were removed from families between 1910 and 1970.

Advocates state that maintaining cultural connections is part of child safety. They point to cases where children placed outside their communities later reconnected with language and ceremony.

A Northern Territory children's minister statement said the principle continues to guide decisions and that family and cultural connections remain a priority where safe. The statement said the intent is to reduce the number of children in out-of-home care by providing earlier support to families.

A Queensland department of child safety spokesperson said the government has accepted most recommendations from a recent commission of inquiry and is committed to improving outcomes for First Nations children. A barrister who gave evidence to the Queensland inquiry said adoption cuts ties with biological and Indigenous families and is not appropriate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

One former foster carer described a placement where siblings maintained contact with each other and participated in cultural ceremonies after earlier separation from family. A Brisbane-based Aboriginal and South Sea Islander woman said her family has worked to keep children together despite involvement with the child protection system.