South Australia’s Aboriginal Children's commissioner has described the state's child protection system as institutionally racist and abhorrent with first nations children entering state care at alarming rates. After an almost two-year-long inquiry Commissioner April Lawrie says more needs to be done to prevent a repeat of the stolen generations.
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00:00A damning assessment of South Australia's child protection system.
00:06Children get disconnected from their families, they get disconnected from their culture,
00:10they get disconnected from their community, their rights get trampled on.
00:14April Laurie has spent almost two years investigating the removal of Aboriginal children from their
00:20families.
00:21She says the child protection system is institutionally racist.
00:26We've got things very wrong here in South Australia.
00:29They need fixing.
00:30In a report tabled in SA Parliament, Ms Laurie wrote the state was unnecessarily removing
00:35disproportionate and growing numbers of Aboriginal children from their families.
00:40She warned the numbers of children being removed are approaching levels akin to the stolen
00:45generations.
00:47We have an institution as child protection that has inherited the legacy of the stolen
00:54generations that continually removes our children at alarming rates compared to non-Aboriginal
01:00children.
01:01Aboriginal children make up 5% of all children in SA, but they represent 37% of all children
01:08in out of home care.
01:10Ms Laurie says some First Nations babies are removed just hours after birth.
01:16This abhorrent practice of uninformed removals in birthing hospitals needs to cease.
01:23The state's Child Protection Minister responded in Parliament acknowledging removal rates
01:27are unacceptable.
01:29There are multiple and complex factors that contribute to this situation and across government
01:36we are steadfastly committed to the national Closing the Gap targets.
01:41Ms Laurie has made 32 recommendations to the government.
01:45We need more of investment in prevention.
01:49We need legislative changes to restore best interests as the primacy for our Aboriginal
01:57children and young people.
01:58The Child Protection Minister says she'll consider the recommendations.