❓ Ms. Hammat asks about the progress of the Aboriginal family-led decision-making pilot program. The Minister outlines the program's goals, locations, involved organisations, and its contribution to reducing the number of Aboriginal children in care.
AnsweredQoN 585Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ABORIGINAL FAMILY–LED DECISION-MAKING TRIAL
585. Ms M.J. HAMMAT to the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the McGowan government's
commitment to keeping children safe.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the Aboriginal family–led
decision-making pilot will support Aboriginal families in having a greater say
in decision-making relating to their children?
(2) Can the
minister update the house on the progress of the Aboriginal family–led
decision-making pilot underway at two trial sites?
585. Ms M.J. HAMMAT to the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the McGowan government's
commitment to keeping children safe.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the Aboriginal family–led
decision-making pilot will support Aboriginal families in having a greater say
in decision-making relating to their children?
(2) Can the
minister update the house on the progress of the Aboriginal family–led
decision-making pilot underway at two trial sites?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Mirrabooka for this question. The program that the member
refers to is an important one in the journey of Western Australia not only
keeping children safe, but also ensuring, particularly with Aboriginal
children, that we address the gross over-representation of Aboriginal children
in our child protection system. This is an issue that jurisdictions across the
country face and it is a new Closing the Gap target to significantly reduce the
number of Aboriginal children in care. Our pilot, which is in two places—Mirrabooka
and Geraldton in the midwest region—for the Aboriginal family–led
decision-making program is one of the methods that we have to reduce the number
of Aboriginal children in care. The model is for two pilot sites.
Aboriginal-controlled organisations at both those sites have now been given a contract,
and they will be trained and employ conveners who will then meet with families
and support staff and other support organisations for families that are at risk
of their children coming into care or that have children who have come into
care but we want to reunify those children as quickly as possible, or perhaps
for what is called pre-birth planning for women who are pregnant but, without
proper interventions and support, whose babies are almost certainly likely to
come into care.
The work that is done in the model
of Aboriginal family–led decision-making in other states and similar models in Canada has shown good results. I was
very pleased to announce the two sites—as I said, Geraldton in
the midwest and in the member's electorate in Mirrabooka. In Geraldton
in the midwest, Streeties, the Geraldton Streetwork Aboriginal Corporation,
will host Aboriginal family–led decision-making and in Mirrabooka,
Wungening Aboriginal Corporation will do that work. This is significant, as are
a range of other things that we are doing in child protection that are starting
to show some good results.
Members will be aware that we are
amending the legislation. The Children and Community Services Amendment Bill 2021 is being debated in the other
place this week and we hope we will make some progress on concluding the
amendments to that bill this week. We are also investing record amounts in
early intervention and investing in innovative pilots, such as the Children's
Court therapeutic conferencing model that the Attorney General and I had a look
at—it is very exciting—and other Aboriginal-led family support
services.
We are now starting to see results
and for the first time in many years, we have seen a reduction in the number of
children in care, and it is the first time we have seen a reduction in the
number of Aboriginal children in care since
1996. That is a quarter of a century. It is the first time we have seen a reduction
in the number of Aboriginal children in care and, in fact, in the total
number of children in care for a quarter of a century. It is significant and I have
now received the September figures for this year and we have seen a further
reduction in the total number of children in care. From June 2020 to 30 September
2021, there were 236 fewer children in care. That is a 4.3 per cent reduction.
It is a significant milestone for this state and vulnerable families.
thank the member for Mirrabooka for this question. The program that the member
refers to is an important one in the journey of Western Australia not only
keeping children safe, but also ensuring, particularly with Aboriginal
children, that we address the gross over-representation of Aboriginal children
in our child protection system. This is an issue that jurisdictions across the
country face and it is a new Closing the Gap target to significantly reduce the
number of Aboriginal children in care. Our pilot, which is in two places—Mirrabooka
and Geraldton in the midwest region—for the Aboriginal family–led
decision-making program is one of the methods that we have to reduce the number
of Aboriginal children in care. The model is for two pilot sites.
Aboriginal-controlled organisations at both those sites have now been given a contract,
and they will be trained and employ conveners who will then meet with families
and support staff and other support organisations for families that are at risk
of their children coming into care or that have children who have come into
care but we want to reunify those children as quickly as possible, or perhaps
for what is called pre-birth planning for women who are pregnant but, without
proper interventions and support, whose babies are almost certainly likely to
come into care.
The work that is done in the model
of Aboriginal family–led decision-making in other states and similar models in Canada has shown good results. I was
very pleased to announce the two sites—as I said, Geraldton in
the midwest and in the member's electorate in Mirrabooka. In Geraldton
in the midwest, Streeties, the Geraldton Streetwork Aboriginal Corporation,
will host Aboriginal family–led decision-making and in Mirrabooka,
Wungening Aboriginal Corporation will do that work. This is significant, as are
a range of other things that we are doing in child protection that are starting
to show some good results.
Members will be aware that we are
amending the legislation. The Children and Community Services Amendment Bill 2021 is being debated in the other
place this week and we hope we will make some progress on concluding the
amendments to that bill this week. We are also investing record amounts in
early intervention and investing in innovative pilots, such as the Children's
Court therapeutic conferencing model that the Attorney General and I had a look
at—it is very exciting—and other Aboriginal-led family support
services.
We are now starting to see results
and for the first time in many years, we have seen a reduction in the number of
children in care, and it is the first time we have seen a reduction in the
number of Aboriginal children in care since
1996. That is a quarter of a century. It is the first time we have seen a reduction
in the number of Aboriginal children in care and, in fact, in the total
number of children in care for a quarter of a century. It is significant and I have
now received the September figures for this year and we have seen a further
reduction in the total number of children in care. From June 2020 to 30 September
2021, there were 236 fewer children in care. That is a 4.3 per cent reduction.
It is a significant milestone for this state and vulnerable families.
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