Bringing-Them-Home-Report-Web

Systemic inequalitiesSubmissions to the Inquiry reflected communities’ grave concerns about socialbreakdown and its consequences, including alcohol, petrol and other substance abuse,domestic violence, poor nutrition, child abuse and other consequent problems. Theprimary reason for welfare intervention in Indigenous communities is neglect. Socialinequality is the most direct cause of neglect. Adequate family assistance could makemajor inroads.Welfare departments in all jurisdictions continue to fail Indigenous children.Although they recognise the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle, they fail to consultadequately, if at all, with Indigenous families and communities and their organisations.Welfare departments frequently fail to acknowledge anything of value which Indigenousfamilies could offer children and fail to address children’s well-being on Indigenousterms.Aboriginal families continue to be seen as the ‘problem’, and Aboriginal children continue to beseen as potentially ‘savable’ if they can be separated from the ‘dysfunctional’ or ‘culturallydeprived’ environments of their families and communities. Non-Aboriginals continue to feel thatAboriginal adults are ‘hopeless’ and cannot be changed, but Aboriginal children ‘have a chance’(Link-Up (NSW) submission 186 page 85).The needs of Indigenous families and communities are neglected while Indigenouschildren continue to be disproportionately involved with ‘The Welfare’ and juvenilejustice. Evidence to the Inquiry repeatedly indicated a community perception that theproblems which result in removals need to be addressed in terms of communitydevelopment. However, welfare departments continue to pathologise and individualiseprotection needs of Indigenous children. At the same time, recognition of past failures,under-resourcing and, in some instances, racist attitudes frequently result in a failure tointervene until the family crisis is of such proportions that separation is the most likely oreven only possible course.Indigenous communities throughout Australia gave evidence to the Inquiry of theirneed for programs and assistance to ensure the well-being of their children. Not a singlesubmission to the Inquiry from Indigenous organisations saw intervention from welfaredepartments as an effective way of dealing with Indigenous child protection needs.Departments recognise that they need to provide culturally appropriate services but theyfail to develop them.Despite changes of names from Department of Community Welfare to the Department ofCommunity Development to the Department of Family and Children’s Services (FCS) [WA]many Aboriginal people feel that the Department has remained a welfare institution reminiscentof Native Welfare. FCS still wields statutory control over families struggling to survive.Decisions which affect the lives of children are frequently made by staff without discussion withAboriginal families. Many people facing crises with their families will often not seek assistancefrom the department because of their association with ‘Welfare’ who took the children away(Kimberley Land Council submission 345 page 28).