The Department of Communities says the Mid-West-Gascoyne region has been selected as the first of two locations for the Western Australian trial of Aboriginal Family Led Decision Making (AFLDM).
Under the pilot program, independent Aboriginal convenors will facilitate a culturally-safe process to support Aboriginal families to make decisions on how to keep their children safe and connected to their community.
The Department said the program had been designed to strengthen Aboriginal self-determination and address the over-representation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care.
It said the trial would work with three cohorts, firstly Aboriginal families engaged in pre-birth planning, with the goal of preventing infants from coming into care.
Secondly, Aboriginal families engaged in Intensive Family Support, with the goal of preventing children from coming into care.
Finally, Aboriginal families where one or more of the children in the family group are in care, with the aim of working towards safely returning them to family.
“With different forms of AFLDM already in place in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, the WA trial is the key to ensuring that the best model is adopted,” the Department said.
Minister for Child Protection, Simone McGurk said the pilot was significant because it aimed to give Aboriginal people greater ownership of issues around family and child safety.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children make up almost 57 per cent of the children in out-of-home care in WA, so this over-representation can only be addressed through a combined effort by all,” Ms McGurk said.
“Aboriginal organisations need to lead this work — they are the experts and we must work alongside them to deliver culturally appropriate solutions that will help to keep children and young people safe at home.”
