Target 12
By 2031, reduce the rate of overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (0–17 years old) in out-of-home care by 45%.
Nationally in 2023, the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–17 years in out‑of‑home care was 57.2 per 1,000 children in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population (figure CtG12.1).
The 2023 rate is below the rate in 2021 (57.6 per 1,000 children) but it is an increase from 54.2 per 1,000 children in 2019 (the baseline year).
Nationally, based on progress from the baseline, the target is worsening. This assessment is provided with a high level of confidence. Please refer to the How to interpret the data page for more information.
The state and territory assessments below reflect progress from the baseline (improvement, worsening or no change). There are no state and territory targets. The Australia assessment reflects progress from the baseline towards the national target.
| NSW | Vic | Qld | WA | SA | Tas | ACT | NT | Aust | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment of progress 2019 to 2023 |  |  | | | |  | | | |
| Confidence level | High | High | High | Low | High | Low | Low | High | High |
improvement no change worsening not applicable as required data not available. 
good improvement and target on track to be met (Aust only). 
improvement but target not on track to be met (Aust only).
Note: These assessments of progress are provided with a 'High' or 'Low' level of confidence. An assessment reported with a High level of confidence is considered to be more reliable than one reported with a Low level of confidence. Please see the 'How to interpret the data' page for more information.
Historical and ongoing target context
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are nurtured within rich and supportive familial and cultural environments but often encounter significant challenges when exposed to the child protection system and removal from their families (AHRC 1997; Martin 2017; Martin and Walter 2017). This has profound effects on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities as it can lead to a loss of cultural identity and connection to Country, family and kinship which are pillars of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander wellbeing (Bourke et al. 2018; Miller et al. 2020; SNAICC et al. 2023).
The continued overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the child protection system stems from several historical, enduring and interrelated factors. These factors include intergenerational trauma originating from colonisation, systemic racism, inequality across social determinants of child wellbeing, and the laws, policies and practices that operate to the detriment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (Darwin et al. 2023; QFCC 2021; SNAICC et al. 2023).
The removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children contributes to poorer outcomes in relation to health, education, housing and employment (AIHW 2018; Healing Foundation 2013). There is also a link between out-of-home care, juvenile justice and the over-incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults in the criminal justice system (ALRC 2017).
Factors that may reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the child protection system include:
- Addressing social and economic determinants, including poverty, homelessness, and educational attainment (Central Australian Aboriginal Congress 2021; De Bortoli et al. 2015). These are primary reasons families encounter the child protection system (CACYP 2023; SNAICC 2023).
- Enabling self-determination through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led service provision (Creamer et al. 2022). This involves adequately resourcing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Organisations to provide culturally safe prevention and early support services and transitioning services away from statutory child protection agencies to ACCOs, where decision making authority is transferred to a delegated Aboriginal authority (SNAICC et al. 2023).
- Eliminating institutional racism and discrimination in child protection (SNAICC et al. 2023). This is particularly with respect to the implicit and explicit bias at decision-making points along the child protection continuum (QFCC 2021)
- Systemic changes to colonial child removal paradigms that fail to understand the context and dynamics of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families (Yoorrook Justice Commission 2023)
- Recognising the Child Placement Principle as the best practice approach across the continuum of interactions with the child protection system (SNAICC 2018)
- Implementing diversion of children and families to a more culturally-responsive secondary service system, which includes supports such as counselling, parenting programs and specialist services targeted at vulnerable families (QFCC 2021; Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry 2013)
- Providing access to culturally-responsive, trauma-aware, healing-informed supports to restore cultural connections (Healing Foundation 2019).
The forced removal of children from family and culture, implemented under the guise of care and protection, led to the Stolen Generations (Menzies 2019). Intergenerational trauma and the enduring impacts of removing children from their families continue to be felt. Despite the historical and ongoing impacts of colonisation, intergenerational trauma and racism, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families remain resilient (Miller et al. 2020).
References
AHRC (Australian Human Rights Commission) 1997, Bringing them Home Report.
AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) 2018, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Stolen Generations and Descendants: Numbers, Demographic Characteristics and Selected Outcomes , Cat. no. IHW 195, Canberra.
ALRC (Australian Law Reform Commission) 2017, Pathways to Justice - An Inquiry into the Incarceration Rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples , December.
Bourke, S, Wright, A, Guthrie, J, Russell, L, Dunbar, T and Lovett, R 2018, ‘Evidence Review of Indigenous Culture for Health and Wellbeing’, The International Journal of Health, Wellness, and Society , vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 11–27.
Central Australian Aboriginal Congress. ‘Response to the Department of Social Services Consultation Paper: Implementing the Successor Plan to the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020’, 2021. https://www.caac.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Congress-Response-to-Protecting-Australias-Children-Discussion-Paper-FINAL.pdf.
CACYP (Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People) 2023, ‘The Inquiry into the Application of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle in the Removal and Placement of Aboriginal Children in South Australia’.
Creamer, S, Blair, S, Toombs, M and Brolan, CE 2022, ‘Indigenous services leading the way for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care’, Social Work Education , pp. 1–25. Darwin, L, Vervoort, S, Vollert, E and Blustein, S 2023, Intergenerational trauma and mental health , Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Darwin, L, Vervoort, S, Vollert, E and Blustein, S 2023, Intergenerational trauma and mental health , AIHW.
De Bortoli, Lillian, Jan Coles, and Mairead Dolan. ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children in Child Protection: A Sample from the Victorian Children’s Court’. Journal of Social Work 15, no. 2 (March 2015): 186–206. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017314529511.
Healing Foundation 2013, Our Children, Our Dreaming: A Call for a More Just Approach for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Families .
—— 2019, A Theory of Change for Healing , https://healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/healthinfonet/getContent.php?linkid=619987&title=A%20theory%20of%20change%20for%20healing (accessed 28 May 2024).
Martin, K 2017, ‘It’s special and it’s specific: understanding the early childhood education experiences and expectations of young Indigenous Australian children and their parents’, The Australian Educational Researcher , vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 89–105.
Martin, K and Walter, M 2017, 'The Story of LSIC: It’s All about Trust and Vision.' In Indigenous Children Growing Up Strong: A Longitudinal Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families , edited by Walter, M, Martin, K and Bodkin-Andrews, G, United Kingdom: Palgrave McMillan, https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-53435-4_3.
Menzies, K 2019, ‘Understanding the Australian Aboriginal experience of collective, historical and intergenerational trauma’, International Social Work , vol. 62, no. 6, pp. 1522–1534.
Miller, HM, Young, C, Nixon, J, Talbot‐McDonnell, M, Cutmore, M, Tong, A, Craig, JC and Woolfenden, S 2020, ‘Parents’ and carers’ views on factors contributing to the health and wellbeing of urban Aboriginal children’, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health , vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 265–270.
Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry. ‘Taking Responsibility: A Roadmap for Queensland Child Protection’, 2013. https://cabinet.qld.gov.au/documents/2013/dec/response%20cpcoi/Attachments/report%202.pdf.
QPCC (Queensland Family and Child Commission) 2021, Principle Focus - A child-rights approach to systemic accountability for the safety and wellbeing of Queensland’s First Nations children .
Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry 2013, Taking Responsibility: A Roadmap for Queensland Child Protection .
SNAICC 2018, The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle: A Guide to Support Implementation , https://www.snaicc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/181212_8_ATSICPP-Guide-to-Support-Implementation-1.pdf (accessed 28 May 2024).
SNAICC, Family Matters Leadership Group, Monash University, and University of Technology Sydney 2023, Family Matters Report 2023 .
Yoorrook Justice Commission 2023, Report into Victoria’s Child Protection and Criminal Justice Systems .
Disaggregations
Data tables appear under figures
By sex
Nationally in 2023, the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–17 years in out‑of‑home care was similar for males and females (57.7 and 56.0 per 1,000 population respectively) (figure CtG12.2).
By age group
Nationally in 2023, rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out‑of‑home care varied by age group. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 10–14 years and 5–9 years had the highest rates of out‑of‑home care (66.0 and 64.1 per 1,000 children respectively), while those aged under one year had the lowest rate (26.2 per 1,000 children) (figure CtG12.3). The national rate for children aged less than one year old and 1–4 years old decreased for the second time in the five years of reported data and is now below the rate in the 2019 baseline year.
By disability status
Nationally in 2023, 21.6% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care had a reported disability (figure CtG12.4). However, this proportion needs to be considered with caution as there is a large proportion of children (30.2%) for whom disability status is unknown (figure CtG12.4).
Target data specifications
Outcome: | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are not overrepresented in the child protection system. |
|---|---|
Target: | By 2031, reduce the rate of overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (0–17 years old) in out‑of‑home care by 45%. |
Indicator: | The rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–17 years in out‑of‑home care. |
Measure: | This measure is defined as: Numerator – number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–17 years in out‑of‑home care, at 30 June Denominator – number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–17 years in the population, at 30 June and is presented as a rate per 1,000 children. |
Target established: | National Agreement on Closing the Gap July 2020 |
Latest dashboard update: | 31 July 2024 |
Indicator type: | Target |
Interpretation of change: | A low or decreasing rate is desirable. |
Data source(s): | Name (numerator all and denominator for data by disability status): Child Protection National Minimum Data Set (CP NMDS) Frequency: Annual Name (denominator): Estimates and Projections for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population Frequency: Annual (revised data for 2019 and 2020 in the March 2022 Dashboard update) Documentation (links): https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/health-welfare-services/child-protection/overview |
Data provider: | Provider name (numerator): Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) Provider area: Child protection Provider name (denominator): Australian Bureau of Statistics Provider area: Demography |
Baseline year: | 2019 |
Latest reporting period: | 2023 |
Target year: | 2031 |
Disaggregations: | State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status. State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status, by sex. State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status, by age. State and territory and Australia, by Indigenous status, by disability status. |
Computation: | Numerator divided by Denominator multiplied by 1,000. Counting rules Includes (numerator):
Excludes (numerator):
Denominator (excluding disability status):
Numerator (disability status):
Denominator (disability status):
Disaggregations:
Supporting calculations
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Data quality considerations: | 2019 (to 30 June) was the first year that a single nationally consistent definition of out‑of‑home care has been applied across all states and territories. Prior to this, reporting of out‑of‑home care was not nationally consistent, and therefore historical data are not provided for this target. Data by Indigenous status are influenced by the quality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification of young people in the CP NMDS (not stated categories are reported separately in the data table). From 2022, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northen Territory have adopted a policy of suppressing numbers below five and AIHW has applied additional suppression. Comparisons of rates since 2016 should be used with caution, as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population estimates are underestimated. Please refer to the How to interpret the data page for more information. Disaggregations:
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Future reporting: | Future reporting will seek to include the following additional disaggregations:
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Supporting indicators
Driver
- Number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care
- Proportion of children in out-of-home care (0–17 years old) that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
- Proportion of children on care and protection order that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Contextual information
- Proportion of children (0-17 years old) who spent time in out-of-home care by length of time categories that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
e.g. 12 months, 24 months etc.
- Measuring progress of the application of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (ATSICPP): Proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care
By type of placement; by relationship with caregiver
- Proportion of children aged 0-17 in out-of-home care that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander who were placed with relatives or kin, or other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers
- Proportion of children aged 0-17 in out-of-home care that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander who have current documented and approved cultural support plans
- Proportion of children admitted to out-of-home care that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
- Proportion of children who exited out-of-home-care to a permanency outcome that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
- Proportion of children 0-17 discharged from out-of-home care that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
- Proportion of children that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged 0-16 who exited out-of-home care to reunification in the previous year and did not return to out-of-home care in 12 months or less
- Proportion of children who were subjects of substantiations of notifications that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
- Rates of substantiation of a notification by type of abuse
Including emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse
- Proportion of children who were the subject of a substantiation of a notification that are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander by type of abuse
Including emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse
Material for download
- Children are not overrepresented in the child protection system data tables (XLSX - 97 Kb)
- Children are not overrepresented in the child protection system dataset (CSV - 229 Kb)
To assist with interpretation of the data provided (Excel data tables and CSV dataset) please refer to the target data specification (above) and the indicator data specifications (provided in each supporting indicator page – linked above).