ALWAYS WAS ALWAYS WILL BE KOORI CHILDREN

3. Learning from
Taskforce 1000
106. Information about the Aboriginal status of the children’s
parents was also sought as part of the Taskforce 1000
project. Across each of the four divisions, there were
higher proportions of Aboriginal mothers (69.5 per
cent for the total cohort of children) than Aboriginal
fathers (55 per cent). Only 9.5 per cent of children
had Aboriginal parents from the same Aboriginal
community. 60 In practice, this means that service
providers must be aware of such diversity and ensure
that all relevant Aboriginal communities are consulted
and engaged through case planning to ensure relevant
and meaningful cultural connection.
107. The most common grounds proven in Protection
Applications before the Children’s Court for the 980
children reviewed during Taskforce 1000 were grounds
of emotional abuse, followed by physical abuse and
neglect, as shown in Figure 4. 61
Figure 4: Proven grounds in Protection Applications
for children reviewed during Taskforce 1000
Number of children
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
50
s. 162 (a) Abandonment
30
s. 162 (b) Parents
dead/incapacitated
n = 1,872
Source: Appendix 1, Table A16.
632
s. 163 (c) Physical abuse
108. More than half the children reviewed during Taskforce
1000 were subject to Custody orders, and more than a
quarter were subject to Guardianship orders. Table 3
provides a breakdown of the type of protection orders
for children reviewed in Taskforce 1000. Amendments
to the CYFA 2005 came into effect on 1 March 2016,
with a suite of new protection orders that are intended
55
s. 164 (d) Sexual abuse
754
s. 162 (a) Emotional harm
351
s. 162 (f) Neglect
to better reflect case planning requirements and to
hasten progress towards achieving permanency for
children with the objective of reducing harmful delays
experienced by children. The Commission is conducting
an inquiry into the impact of these amendments after
the first six months of their operation.
Table 3: Type of protection order for children reviewed
during Taskforce 1000
Type of protection order
Number
Interim Accommodation order 45
Interim Protection order 32
Supervised Custody order 98
Custody order 510
Custody to Third Party order 11
Guardianship order 259
Long-term Guardianship order 20
Therapeutic Treatment order 1
Blank 4
Total 980
n = 980
Source: Appendix 1, Table A17.
3.3 Preparation for Taskforce 1000
area panels
109. A survey of 168 questions gathered information about
each child reviewed during Taskforce 1000. The survey
was devised by DHHS with input from the Steering
Committee. The survey questions covered a range of
broad topics including basic demographic information;
issues pertaining to the child’s safety, health, disability,
wellbeing and education; reasons for entering care;
and cultural connection. The survey captured point-intime
information for every child reviewed. The child’s
DHHS child protection worker completed the survey
prior to the child’s case being presented and discussed
at Taskforce 1000 area panels. The Commission has
analysed the survey data for this report.
110. Additionally, a detailed genogram was completed by the
DHHS child protection worker, with the assistance of
ACCOs, to identify the child’s immediate and extended
family members, the Aboriginal clan and Country that
the respective family members had connection with
and the current placement arrangements for the child.
60 Appendix 1, Table A7.
61 Most children had substantiations for more than one type of harm; therefore,
the total number of grounds (n = 1,872) is greater than the 980 children
reviewed during Taskforce 1000. Section 162 of the CYFA 2005 specifies the
grounds for when a child is in need of protection. See Appendix 4 for CYFA
2005, section 162 – When is a child in need of protection?
40 ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE KOORI CHILDREN