ALWAYS WAS ALWAYS WILL BE KOORI CHILDREN

Contents
Page
Letter to the Legislative Council
and the Legislative Assembly 1
Acknowledgements 2
Commissioners’ foreword 3
List of tables 6
List of figures 7
Abbreviations and acronyms 8
Definitions 9
Aboriginal 9
Children 9
Cultural safety 9
Out-of-home care 9
Executive summary 11
Findings 13
Recommendations 14
Introduction 22
About this Inquiry 23
Role of the Commission for Children
and Young People 24
1. Background 25
1.1 Census data 25
1.2 Aboriginal children receiving child protection
services in Victoria 26
1.3 Aboriginal children in out-of-home care in Victoria 26
1.4 Key Victorian inquiries 27
1.5 Victorian initiatives 29
1.6 Key national inquiries relating
to Aboriginal people 30
1.7 National initiatives 31
3. Learning from Taskforce 1000 38
3.1 What was Taskforce 1000? 38
3.2 Demographics 39
3.3 Preparation for Taskforce 1000
area panels 40
3.4 Taskforce 1000 area panels 41
3.5 Taskforce 1000 area action plans 42
3.6 Taskforce 1000 stakeholder consultation 44
4. Inquiry findings 46
4.1 Drivers for child protection involvement and entry to
out-of-home care 46
4.2 Early years support 53
4.3 Practice challenges 55
4.4 Education 85
4.5 Children’s health and wellbeing 90
4.6 Leaving care issues 96
4.7 Youth justice 97
4.8 Organisational change: capacity building
and cultural competence 99
5. Opportunity to respond 102
Appendices 107
Appendix 1: Data tables 107
Appendix 2: DHHS area map 122
Appendix 3: Aboriginal languages of Victoria map 123
Appendix 4: Extract, CYFA 2005, s. 162
When is a child in need of protection? 124
Appendix 5:
Page
Survey questions,
Taskforce 1000, 2014–15 125
Appendix 6: Core membership of Taskforce 1000
Steering Committee 129
Appendix 7: Bringing them home Scorecard 131
References 132
2. Legislative requirements 34
2.1 Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities
Act 2006 34
2.2 Children Youth and Families Act 2005 34
2.3 Additional decision-making principles
for Aboriginal children 35
ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE KOORI CHILDREN 5