Federal Budget 2025 & report detailing WA’s disproportionate removal of Aboriginal children from families – SNAICC in the News

The week of 24 March 2025 covers the Federal Budget 2025-26, a new report by Human Rights Watch that details the alarming rates of over-representation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care in Western Australia and the Reconnect Gathering on Yuin Country.

The 2025–26 Federal Budget released on Tuesday 25 March has been welcomed by SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, particularly the $5 billion investment in a universal early childhood education and care system. CEO Catherine Liddle called it a game changer for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, saying that the removal of the Activity Test is a major step forward in ensuring children and families have access to early learning. SNAICC also acknowledged broader commitments under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, including investments in health, economic participation and family safety. However, Catherine said that funding must flow to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations, which are best placed to deliver culturally responsive services and long-term change.

SNAICC also identified critical gaps in the Federal Budget, particularly the lack of investment in family support and Safe and Supported measures to reduce the increasing number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care. In the lead-up to the Federal Budget announcement, SNAICC had called for a new funding model for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled early education and care, ensuring that wrap-around supports and cultural education are properly resourced. Catherine said that while the budget includes significant funding for Closing the Gap initiatives, it has missed opportunities to strengthen community-led solutions in child protection and family services through investments in Safe and Supported, which works with communities to develop programs and responses they need to keep families strong, children safe and ensure children are not removed from their families.

The Coalition of Peaks welcomed key budget investments, calling them a positive step toward closing the gap, particularly in health, early childhood, education and family safety. Lead Convenor Pat Turner AM highlighted commitments to mental health, economic participation and data sovereignty but stressed the need for sustained funding and leadership. Yanyuwa Garrwa woman and Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy defended the government’s approach, pointing to major remote area investments, including $842.6 million for the Northern Territory Remote Aboriginal Investment partnership and $50 million for food security. However, Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurring Senator Lidia Thorpe criticised the budget for lacking new funding for legal services, youth justice and treaty processes while allocating $205 million to NT policing. NACCHO, AIDA and FPDN welcomed health and disability investments but urged fairer funding models and stronger commitments to Closing the Gap targets. Meanwhile, NATSILS condemned the ongoing underfunding of legal services.

A new Human Rights Watch report published this week has detailed that Aboriginal children in Western Australia are 20 times more likely to be placed in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children—the highest rate of over-representation in the country. The report highlights how authorities remove children from Aboriginal parents facing domestic violence and housing insecurity rather than providing appropriate services to address domestic violence and homelessness. Despite collaborating with Aboriginal organisations to develop the WA Roadmap—a 10-year plan to reduce child removals—the WA government has yet to implement it. Catherine Liddle has called for urgent action, criticising the government’s failure to invest in prevention services and fulfil its Closing the Gap commitments.

On 12 and 13 March 2025, SNAICC and Cullunghutti Aboriginal Child and Family Centre hosted the Reconnect Gathering on Yuin Country in Nowra, NSW. The event focused on the Boori Milumba model, an early childhood education and care program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged birth to three, co-developed by SNAICC, Cullunghutti, Parkville Institute and Social Ventures Australia. The program aims to improve developmental outcomes for children facing adversity, with a strong focus on cultural safety and learning through Country. The event featured presentations from Cullunghutti’s leadership team and planning sessions to discuss the program’s progress and future goals.

Topic: Federal Budget 2025

On Tuesday, 25 March, Treasurer Jim Chalmers delivered the Labor Government’s 2025–26 Federal Budget, with key investments being allocated towards building a universal early childhood education and care system.

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children has welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment to reforming the early education and care sector, recognising the budget’s $5 billion investment in building a universal early childhood education and care system as a major step towards improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The budget also includes more than half a billion dollars under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, which includes measures to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, easing cost-of-living pressures in remote communities and improving health outcomes. Many budget commitments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities were outlined in the government’s Closing the Gap 2025 Implementation Plan released in February, including a $1.3 billion package over six years to promote economic empowerment, food security, and health and wellbeing.

Key investments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Federal Budget includes:

• $50 million to reduce the costs of 30 essential products, such as milk and nappies, in 76 remote stores
• $842.6 million over six years to deliver critical services in remote Northern Territory communities
• $24 million towards the Indigenous Procurement Policy, following the announcement of a new 3% government contract target for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned businesses
• $137.3 million over three years for a new ‘remote jobs’ scheme to replace the Community Development Program
• $70.9 million boost to the fund supporting low-income Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in obtaining home loans, with $20 million directed to single carers, most of whom are women
• $3.1 million for the Office of the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People
• $21.4 million to build a nutrition workforce in remote communities
• $4.5 million to the Coalition of Peaks to continue its work to Close the Gap
• $21.8 million to provide family, domestic and sexual violence services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, children and communities.

Arrernte Luritja woman and SNAICC CEO, Catherine Liddle, said it was heartening to hear Treasurer Jim Chalmers acknowledge the importance of early education and care in his budget statement. She said that closing the gap starts with our children—something SNAICC has been saying for a long time—and that the $5 billion commitment will be a game changer for children and families. SNAICC has welcomed the removal of the Activity Test, which will allow families to access subsidised early childhood education for three days a week regardless of how much they work or study. Catherine said this move will bring relief to many families—by effectively abolishing the Child Care Activity Test for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children alongside increasing workforce wages and establishing a $1 billion fund to build new centres—it is a very welcome investment. She also spoke of the long-term benefits of early education in keeping children out of child protection and youth justice systems, saying that children who have had access to early education and care, and families who have had access to those services, are far less likely to come into contact with child protection and youth justice.

While welcoming these investments, Catherine stressed that funding must flow to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations, which are best placed to support communities. SNAICC has also identified significant gaps in the budget, particularly in family support and Safe and Supported. In the lead up to the Federal Budget announcement, SNAICC advocated for funding to implement Safe and Supported measures to reduce the rising number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children being removed from their families. The organisation also called for a new funding model for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled early education and care to ensure wrap-around supports and cultural education are properly resourced. Catherine said during an interview that the government had missed an opportunity by not allocating more funds to these areas. She said that one of the most horrific statistics in the Closing the Gap targets is the increasing number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care, which she described as a national disgrace. She added that there has not been any commitment to investing in Safe and Supported, which works with communities to develop programs and responses they need to keep families strong, children safe and ensure children are not removed from their families.

Catherine said SNAICC will soon release its election priorities and urges all parties to commit to them ahead of this year’s Federal Election.

For full coverage, find our Media Release and news stories linked below.

Topic: Disproportionate removal of Aboriginal children from families in WA

A new report by Human Rights Watch has revealed alarming rates of over-representation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care in Western Australia, with Aboriginal children 20 times more likely to be placed in care than non-Indigenous children.

The Human Rights Watch report “All I Know Is I Want Them Home”: Disproportionate Removal of Aboriginal Children from Families in Western Australia describes how authorities in Western Australia have been quick to remove children from Aboriginal mothers fleeing domestic violence and from Aboriginal parents who lack adequate housing, rather than providing appropriate services to address domestic violence and homelessness. The report shows that Western Australia has the highest rate of over-representation of Aboriginal children in out-of-home care of any Australian state or territory, with Aboriginal children 20 times more likely to be living in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children. According to the report, the WA government has ignored a comprehensive approach to addressing the crisis, despite the existence of the WA Roadmap, a 10-year plan to reduce the number of Aboriginal children in care developed by SNAICC and currently sitting with the WA government.

Catherine Liddle has expressed concern about the WA government’s failure to implement the WA Roadmap. While she acknowledges the government’s collaboration with Aboriginal communities and organisations in developing the Roadmap, she said that the plan has been sitting on a shelf as the crisis worsens. The Human Rights Watch report identifies several challenges—many of which are directly addressed by the Roadmap—such as increased investment in early intervention and prevention services and better support for mothers who have experienced domestic violence. The Roadmap was created to address the underlying causes of child removals, which include poverty, housing insecurity, family and domestic violence, a lack of culturally appropriate family support services and institutional racism.

Last year, the WA government allocated only 4.4% of its child protection funding to family support services, which are critical in preventing children from being removed from their families without cause. This lack of support for families, combined with the failure to implement the Roadmap, has led to continued trauma for Aboriginal children and families. Catherine has called on the WA government to take immediate action, urging them to finalise the Roadmap and to fulfil their commitments under Closing the Gap. She said that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families are suffering the consequences of inaction and urged the WA government to implement solutions to protect Aboriginal children and keep them connected to their families and culture.

For full coverage, find our Media Release and news stories linked below.

Topic: Reconnect Gathering on Yuin Country

On the 12th and 13th of March 2025, SNAICC and Cullunghutti Aboriginal Child and Family Centre hosted the Reconnect Gathering on Yuin Country in Nowra, NSW.

The two-day Reconnect Gathering focused on an intensive early childhood education and care model trial for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged birth to three, designed to address adversity and improve school readiness. Co-developed by SNAICC, Cullunghutti, Parkville Institute and Social Ventures Australia, the Boori Milumba model prioritises cultural safety and aims to improve developmental and learning outcomes for children facing family stress and social hardship. The program is built on cultural responsiveness, with children regularly going on Country with Cullunghutti’s Cultural Lead, Charlie Ashby, and educators participating in monthly on-Country discussions.

The event featured presentations from Cullunghutti’s leadership team, including the CEO, Board, Elders and key program staff, who shared insights on the program’s progress. SNAICC facilitated planning and reflection sessions, where participants discussed challenges, successes and goals for 2025 and beyond. Currently, 22 children are enrolled in the Boori Milumba program, meaning Child Shine in Dharawal language. The program’s name was collaboratively developed by Cullunghutti staff, Board and Elders.

The Reconnect Gathering celebrated the program’s achievements and set the stage for future planning.

For full coverage, find the news story linked below.