Commission demands Qld action on First Nations child removals
The National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People has called for urgent, coordinated action from the Queensland Government to address the persistent overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care.
The statement follows the release of the Queensland Commission of Inquiry into the Child Safety Systems Final Report, which examined long-standing failures and proposed reform across child protection.
Key Points
- National Commission urges whole-of-government response in Queensland
- Inquiry report delivered 52 recommendations after 10 months of work
- First Nations children are about eight per cent of child population in Queensland
- They account for roughly half of out-of-home care placements
- Placement rate nearly 10 times higher than non-Indigenous children
- Commission rejects downgrading ATSICPP and racism findings
- Calls for stronger investment in community-controlled organisations
Inquiry findings and urgent calls for reform
The National Commission’s intervention comes as Queensland released From Pressure to Purpose: Reforming Child Protection in Queensland, the final report of its Commission of Inquiry into the Child Safety Systems. The report follows 10 months of investigation and presents 52 recommendations informed by 1,193 submissions, 49 hearings, and youth consultation sessions with more than 50 young people. The National Commission framed the report as a critical juncture for government to close the gap and reduce the disproportionate number of First Nations children in care.
According to the National Commission, First Nations children comprise around eight per cent of Queensland’s child population but account for approximately half of all children in out-of-home care. It further highlighted that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Queensland are placed in out-of-home care at nearly 10 times the rate of non-Indigenous children, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2025
“This report has come at such a critical time – too many of our children are living away from their families and communities and being placed in out-of-home care across Queensland, but this is not the solution,” National Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter said.
Ms Hunter, said the findings reinforced the need for governments to work together to address systemic drivers of child removal and invest in community-led solutions. The Commission described out-of-home care as a stopgap measure that does not resolve underlying issues and reiterated that connection to culture, Community, and family delivers better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.
The Commission noted that it is watching closely the report’s recommendations on adoption and permanency. It underscored that culture functions as a protective factor and cautioned that permanent removal from family has lasting impacts on identity, health, and wellbeing. Any moves on permanency, it said, must prioritise stability and belonging without diminishing the responsibility of the State for the care it provides.
Concerns over permanency and racism
The Commission raised specific concerns about the treatment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (ATSICPP) and the report’s conclusions about racism. It does not support recommendations that would make the ATSICPP subordinate to the paramount principle in legislation. It also rejected the report’s finding that racism is not a factor in the removal of First Nations children and young people from their homes.
The Commission stated that the ATSICPP was consistently considered alongside the paramount principle when determining safety, and that the issue in Queensland has been misapplication rather than conflict between principles.
It urged the Queensland Government to apply the ATSICPP properly to the standard of Active Efforts, rather than downgrading it in law. On the dismissal of racism as a factor, the National Commission pointed to existing commitments under the National Closing the Gap Agreement, which acknowledge colonisation, trauma, and systemic racism as drivers of overrepresentation.
“Permanency must mean stability and belonging for the child. It must not become a way for the State to move our children permanently away from family and culture, or to discharge its own accountability for failures in care,” Ms Hunter said.
The Commission also said these concerns went to the core of children’s rights and wellbeing. It emphasised that culture serves as a protective factor and warned against approaches that risk severing children’s connections to family and culture. It reiterated that it does not accept the finding that racism plays no part in removals, stating that the report’s position itself illustrates where issues lie in Queensland.
Investment, oversight, and next steps
Reaffirming the central role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations (ATSICCOs), the Commission called for increased Queensland Government investment to support family-led decision-making, early intervention, and prevention services. It said these organisations provide safe, supported spaces that help keep children connected to culture and family and should be properly funded to deliver meaningful programmes across the State.
The Commission acknowledged the ongoing work of the Queensland Family and Child Commission in monitoring government commitments under the Our Way Strategy. It also said it is looking forward to the appointment of the next First Nations Children’s Commissioner in Queensland.
While welcoming many of the 52 recommendations, it expressed concern that aspects of the report do not adequately uphold the rights of First Nations children, young people, and families.
