The Wire

Indigenous advocates are calling for a child protection system compatible with cultural practice to address the continued removal of First Nations children from their families.

This follows the Productivity Commission’s fourth annual Closing the Gap Data Compilation Report which reveals the number of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care in Victoria had increased from 102.2 children per 1,000 to 102.9 per 1,000 in the 12 months leading up to the 2023 financial year.

Yoorrook Deputy Chair, Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter says the current Victorian protection regime has all the signposts of a colonial, racist past and current removal figures highlight the urgent need for Indigenous oversight of the system.