Aboriginal children represent more than 90 per cent of Territory kids in out-of-home care

Shocking statistics have sparked calls for change on National Sorry Day.

TWENTY-FIVE years after a crucial report on the Stolen Generation was released, Indigenous children still represent more than 90 per cent of children in out-of-home care in the NT.

The Bringing Them Home report highlighted the need for systemic change and a national apology, which was delivered by then-prime minister Kevin Rudd in 2008.

Nationally, a staggering 21,523 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were in out-of-home care at June 30, 2020.

Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) chief executive Catherine Liddle said Sorry Day was an important time to reflect on the continuing unacceptably high rates of children being removed from their families and the resulting ongoing trauma.

“More and more of our children are being removed from their families with the over-representation of our children in out-of-home care growing each year,” Ms Liddle said.

“But this National Sorry Day I have hope that we are starting to see change, that we have commitments that will see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and knowledge drive the systems that support our kids’ safety and wellbeing.”

Ms Liddle said federal, state and territory governments commitments to the Closing the Gap agreement, the promise of the Uluru Statement and moves towards real partnerships in decision making were significant.

“These are far from symbolic gestures. They can represent a deeper shift in attitude and practice by governments that actually drive system changes that can turn the tide,” she said.

Governments have committed to reducing the over-representation of our children in out-of-home care by 45 per cent by 2031 through the National Agreement on Closing the Gap yet according to the report, representation is expected to increase by 54 per cent by 2030.