Aboriginal leaders say Victoria's "culturally unsafe" child protection system is creating "a new stolen generation", as the state's truth-telling inquiry prepares to hold hearings on the subject from Monday.
Last year one in nine Aboriginal babies aged under one was taken away from their families by the state of Victoria, more than double the national average.
The chairperson of the Victorian Aboriginal Children and Young People's Alliance, Karen Heap, said Aboriginal-led organisations had been inadequately supported to keep families together.
"One of our workforce's biggest challenges and this occurs at varying levels across Victoria, is working with [Department of Families, Fairness and Housing] child protection," Heap said.
"There are still culturally unsafe practices within DFFH that our staff must navigate, and for our children and families. We need to support Aboriginal staff, working with our families to reduce their cultural load."
In June this year a state auditor general's report found DFFH was putting Indigenous children into homes that were not culturally appropriate, with 56% placed with a non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carer.
"Over 50 per cent are separated from their siblings and 56 per cent have no cultural support plan. This can lead to children experiencing a lack of connection with their culture and family," the report said.
About 50 witnesses are expected to speak across two weeks of Yoorrook Justice Commission hearings into the child protection and criminal justice systems, with service providers and experts among those to give evidence.
The Yoorrook deputy chair, Sue-Anne Hunter, said the country was seeing "a new Stolen Generation happening before our eyes".
"The harm inflicted on the Stolen Generation continues to traumatise our people, yet record numbers of First Peoples' children are being taken from their families - at a rate 20 times greater than non-Aboriginal kids," she said.
"Too many children are still separated from kin, Country and culture as a result of detrimental policies and practices."
Aboriginal-led organisations manage nearly half of child protection cases - their rates of family unification sit at about 24%, while the department's are at 12%, according to the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency.
Heap said despite a recognition that past child protection policies impact Aboriginal families more, children continue to be removed from their families at "unacceptable" rates.
"The numbers are showing no signs of decreasing, but rather remain on a general upward trend, despite a moderate slowing in the last year in Victoria," she said.
"The Alliance believes a significant practice shift in child protection, particularly across the cultural safety of the workforce is required."
Djirra is an Indigenous agency aimed at preventing family violence. Its chief executive, Antoinette Braybrook, said Aboriginal women could often become separated from their children when fleeing family violence.
"Once child protection services become involved, women face a legal battle trying to get their kids back," Braybrook said. "It is well-documented that if women have early access to legal representation, child removal is likely to be prevented."
A spokesperson said DFFH would listen to and work with Yoorrook.
"We welcome the truth-telling process, we will listen to and support the Commission in its work to confront the truth of historic and ongoing injustices in our systems, policies and legislation," the DFFH spokesperson said.
Victoria is pursuing the truth and treaty elements of the 2017 Uluru statement from the heart, with Yoorrook launching public hearings in April.
- with Australian Associated Press
