Realising Aboriginal Community Controlled Approaches to Child Reunification

ABSTRACT Reunification rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out‐of‐home care (OOHC) in Australia are critically low, even though reunification is the preferred permanency outcome for children following removal, and despite a range of mechanisms and strategies ostensibly to support effective reunification. To better understand the barriers to reunification of Aboriginal children, from the perspective of practitioners, nine practitioner forums were conducted online with 84 participants (46 who identified as Aboriginal) working in OOHC and reunification from across NSW between February and June 2023. Participants represented government, non‐government, and Aboriginal organisations delivering reunification programmes to Aboriginal families through the NSW Permanency Support Programme. The study found that distinct service responses are required for Aboriginal children on different statutory orders, and that perceiving reunification from Aboriginal community approaches that focus on ongoing family and cultural connections and holistic family support is critical for successful and sustainable reunification. The paper suggested implications from the research, including a conceptual reimagining of permanency and reunification for Aboriginal children and families.