Occasional Paper No. 16

This report was published by the former Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA).

Contents | Downloads

Contents

• Executive summary
• 1. Consulting with Indigenous communities
• 2. Questions about participation from an Indigenous viewpoint
• 3. Questions about data from an Indigenous viewpoint
• Appendix 1. Regions in which consultations took place
• Appendix 2. Letter of invitation
• Appendix 3. Consultation documents
• Appendix 4. Fact sheets
• References

Appendix 4. Fact sheets

• Fact sheet 1
• Fact sheet 2
• Fact sheet 3
• Fact sheet 4
• Fact sheet 5
• Fact sheet 6

Fact sheet 1

Early Years of Indigenous Kids' Development and Wellbeing

• Given young age structure of Indigenous population, disadvantages faced by young people have potential to increase disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians over the next decades and on.¹
• Many factors influence Indigenous kids' outcomes:

1. Risk factors include: low birth weight, low income, poor housing, and lack of community support networks.

2. Protective factors include: easy temperament, attachment to family, and positive social networks.

• Indigenous children remain significantly underrepresented in early childhood services, including all forms of Australian Government funded childcare, and overrepresented in state based systems of child protection. They continue to have some of the poorest outcomes among Australian children, including high infant mortality, low birth weight babies, and poor school retention.²
• At present Indigenous children are:³

• three times less likely to access early childhood education services

• six times more likely to be in the care and protection system

• twenty-five per cent in care are not with Indigenous family carers.

Fact sheet 2

Indigenous Kids' Outcomes

• The census in the year 2000 shows that the health and welfare of Indigenous children is significantly less than that of non-Indigenous children in Australia.
• Indigenous Australians' standard of health is the same as that of the non-Indigenous population in the year 1910. Life expectancy is 20 years less than for other Australians.¹
• Many of the excessively high levels of health problems create learning and development problems for Indigenous children. For example, one-third of primary school age children in remote Northern Territory communities were found to be unable to hear their teachers in class.² ABS reports indicate that in 1999 the proportion of low birth weight babies born to Indigenous mothers was 12.4 per cent compared to 6.2 per cent of non-Indigenous mothers.³
• Children are at risk of high levels of morbidity and mortality and are more likely not to have access to community health and welfare services. Within rural and remote communities there are excessively high health and poverty problems.

Where Indigenous Kids are Located in Australia⁴

Indigenous Kids Compared to All Kids in Australia

Placement of Indigenous children with non-Indigenous foster parents5	Despite the introduction of the Child Placement Principle approximately 22 per cent of Indigenous children were removed from families and placed with non-Indigenous carers.6
Life expectancy at birth	Life expectancy at birth in 1997–99: Indigenous: males 56 years/females 63 years; Non Indigenous: males 76 years/females 82 years Similar to life expectancy for non-Indigenous males in 1901–10 and females in 1920–22.
Pre school education	Between 1995 and 1999 access to pre school education for Indigenous kids declined compared to increases for all other kids.
Early school leaving	Indigenous people are more likely to leave school early. One-third have left school by age of 15 or younger compared to 15 per cent for all young people.
Unemployment rates	Unemployment rate is higher for Indigenous people (17.6 per cent) than for whole Australian population (7.3 per cent). Employment rate is lower at 44 per cent compared to 59 per cent. Unemployment rate highest for Indigenous people aged 15–19 years (50 per cent); and is also high for 20–24 year-olds (46 per cent).
Nature of employment	26 per cent of Indigenous people in employment are employed in CDEP, a work for the dole scheme provided through ATSIS.
Annual household income	20 per cent of Indigenous households had an annual household income of less than $16,000 per annum/40 per cent had household incomes of between $16,000 and $40,000.
Homelessness	Indigenous people comprise 14 per cent of all clients under Supported Accommodation Assistance Program. Indigenous families were 20 times more likely to be homeless than non-Indigenous families.
Unaffordable and overcrowded housing	Of the 17 per cent of all Australians living in unaffordable and/or overcrowded housing, 38 per cent of Indigenous households were living in this condition.
Law and justice	Indigenous children and young people are 21.3 times more likely to be incarcerated than non-Indigenous children and young people. Repeat offences increase the chance of youth suicide which is three times the average death rate for all Australians7.
Rate of relationship breakdown	High levels of child abuse, family violence and excessive alcohol results in dramatic effects on physical and mental health of individual, families and communities.8

Fact sheet 3

Where We Have Been—Past Research on Indigenous Children

A number of Australian studies have been conducted to gain a better understanding on Indigenous kids' health, education, family relationships and child care. They offer a useful guide where further work is most needed to give Indigenous kids the best start in life.

• The Western Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey (WAACHS), developed through the TVW Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, offers a model for the study of the health and wellbeing of Indigenous children. This survey required extensive planning and community consultation. A key advantage of this type of research is that it covered the whole population of Indigenous kids in WA. This meant that urban, regional, and remote regions were all surveyed. The WA Aboriginal Child Health Survey was and remains a highly ambitious undertaking and is recognised nationally and internationally.
• A number of other Australian surveys exist: all offering a guide where further work is most needed to give kids the best start in life.

• The National Health Survey has an Indigenous component.

• The Indigenous General survey provides an overview of the health and wellbeing of Indigenous communities.

• A number of birth cohort studies have been undertaken: 'Investing in our children: What we know and don't know about the costs and benefits of early childhood intervention'¹; 'Growth and morbidity in children in the Aboriginal Birth Cohort Study: the urban-remote differential'²; 'An Australian Aboriginal birth cohort: a unique resource for life course study of an Indigenous population: a study protocol'³, and 'Bibbulunbg Gnarneep'⁴, all of which identify the health issues facing Indigenous kids.

Fact sheet 4

Longitudinal Survey of Australian Children (LSAC)

• Funded through Australian Government Department of Family and Community Services' Stronger Families and Communities Strategy. LSAC intends to survey two age groups over time; 5,000 babies aged under 12 months and 5,000 four to five year-olds. It is currently in its dress rehearsal phase.
• LSAC intends to

1. Inform government policy in areas concerning young children, specifically child care, early childhood education and schooling, parenting and family relationships, and health.
2. Identify opportunities for early intervention and prevention strategies.
3. Provide comprehensive, national longitudinal data.

• Estimated around 350 Indigenous children will be sampled in LSAC—representing just under four per cent of the total population of Australian children. Indigenous children will be represented in LSAC in the same percentage as the general population.
• LSAC offers useful comparative template for LSIC.

Conceptual framework for LSAC based upon model of ecological contexts shaping child's pathways. The model depicts how the family, school and neighbourhood impact upon a child's early years which is situated within a wider social, economic, political and cultural setting (see diagram below).

Fact sheet 5

Indigenous families are different…

• 2.4% of the Australian population identify as Indigenous.
• 13% of Indigenous families have four or more children compared with 5% for the total population of families.
• 40% of the Indigenous population is aged less than 14 years—more than twice the rate for the total population.
• Indigenous family structures are different, for example:

• more likely to be sole parent households (30% compared with 14% for the total population)

• more likely to live in households containing two or more families (6.2%, compared with 1.2% of all households)

• 6.29% of the Aboriginal population and 3.24% of the Torres Strait Islander population receive Parenting Payment Support compared to 2.11% for the non-Indigenous population

• 2.04% of the Aboriginal population and 1.34% of the Torres Strait Islander population receive Parenting Payment Partnered compared to 0.98% for the non-Indigenous population

• fertility rates are higher than the general population—the teenage fertility rate is almost 4 times greater than the overall rate.

• 64.7% of Indigenous Family Tax Benefit customers have family incomes less than $20,000 compared to 30.03% for the non-Indigenous population.
• on average, Family Tax Benefit represents 32.4% of Indigenous families' income.
• the Indigenous population has poorer health outcomes, for example:

• infant mortality is 3 times greater;

• double likelihood for babies to have low birth weight (13% compared to 6.7%);

• more likely to be overweight and obese.

• poorer childhood health shows up in adult status, for example:

• 12 times more likely to die from diabetes

• higher hospitalisation rate for asthma

• higher levels of many mental and behavioural disorders

• higher levels of nutritional and metabolic diseases.

• educational outcomes for the Indigenous population are poorer, for example:

• only 26% reached minimum reading levels in year 3, compared to 92.5% of all students, and 62% in year 5 compared to 89.6%

• 86% continued until Year 10, compared with 94% of all students

• 36% completed year 12, compared with 73% non-Indigenous.

Fact sheet 6

What is happening for Indigenous kids under FaCS' portfolio

FaCS is committed to improving access to services, helping Indigenous people address a range of pressing issues and to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous social indicators.

FaCS's total estimated expenditure on Indigenous specific programs, services and projects for 2002-2003 is $213.2 million, including $48.6 million for Centrelink's Indigenous Services.

In relation to Indigenous kids, their families and communities, FaCS administers a number of Indigenous-specific programs:

Child Care Programs: 36 services, 9 in urban areas

• Care offered for pre-school and school aged children includes long day care, playgroups, outside school hours care, school holiday care and cultural programs.
• Culturally appropriate and flexible child care services for Indigenous families and on-site crèches.
• Located in all States and Territories, many on remote Indigenous communities.
• Multifunctional Aboriginal Children's Services (MACS) provide flexible childcare services to meet the social and developmental needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
• 70% of staff of MACS are of Indigenous background.

Innovative child care services

• 2002 childcare census indicates 12,600 Indigenous children attended formal child care.
• Flexible and innovative models of child care are available to meet the needs of families living in rural and regional communities.
• Provide a mix of child care services that are best suited to meet the communities' needs e.g. flexible long day care, outside school hours care, occasional care, mobile services, on-farm care, multi-sited child care services and overnight care.
• These programs are additional to formal child care.

Aboriginal and Islander Child Care Agencies (AICCAs) $3.4 million funding

• For up to 16 Aboriginal and Islander Child Care services.
• Services are involved with the placement/fostering of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and related family welfare matters.
• Targets Indigenous families.
• Services are located in all States and Territories in Australia, except Tasmania and the ACT.

Transition to Independent Living Allowance

• Provides a one-off payment to assist young people with costs associated with the transition to independent living (this is significant giving the numbers of Indigenous children in out-of-home care).

Indigenous Parenting and Family Wellbeing: $1.7 million per annum

The aims of this initiative include:

• Recognise and promote the importance of strong families among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• Increase understanding, knowledge and skills about parenting and family wellbeing to build strong family life and communities for the future.
• Indigenous Parenting and Family Wellbeing (IP&FW) is one of the programs established in response to Bringing Them Home, the report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families.
• Program targets Indigenous families.

Centrepay

• Indigenous specific deduction types include: Indigenous short-term Hostel accommodation (159 deductions at June 2003); Indigenous Housing Loans (29); Food Provision (819); and Indigenous Community Housing Organisations (9,609).
• Centrepay is a voluntary automatic deduction facility for payments made directly from the customer's Centrelink benefit.
• Helps customers ensure payments are made and reduces arrears.

Stronger Families and Community Strategy: $240 million over 4 years

• $20 million specifically for Indigenous communities.
• 85% of Indigenous projects are in rural and remote areas.
• Currently over 160 individual projects have been funded under the Strategy that specifically target Indigenous peoples.
• SFCS supports a range of projects that have been developed by Indigenous communities in partnership with a variety of stakeholders with an emphasis on early intervention and prevention approaches.
• Projects are identified locally and developed locally to suit the needs and requirements of the Indigenous community.
• These projects address a broad range of locally identified issues, primarily covering:

• leadership within Indigenous communities

• building relationships and family support

• parenting and playgroups

• support for Indigenous youth, culture and sporting events

• health

• building community

• support for men.

National Agenda for Early Childhood: $10 million

• $1.2 million given to establishing 21 capital projects targeted at remote Indigenous child care services.
• The National Agenda for Early Childhood aims to provide children with the best possible start in life.
• Has the needs of Indigenous children as a high priority.
• Will deliver a range of early childhood initiatives across all States and Territories.

Reconnect

• Assists 7,000 young people and 5,000 families each year.
• A community based early intervention and support program for young people aged 12 to 18 years who are homeless or are at risk of homelessness.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander access to Reconnect services is around 11% of the total national figure.

Family Liaison Workers

• The Youth Activity Services program includes a specific family component, the Family Liaison Worker (FLW) program.
• This program supports young people and their families by helping them deal with issues affecting their wellbeing as a family, through positive professional and practical support and guidance.
• There are twelve Indigenous specific YAS/FLW services located in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities with most of these services in rural and remote areas.

National Indigenous Youth leadership Group

Aim is to provide opportunities for young Indigenous Australians to:

• share their experiences and perspectives
• empower Indigenous young people in their communities
• promote positive images of young Indigenous people
• develop leadership skills.

Family Relationship Services Program

• Community organisations provide family relationships services to men, women and children across Australia using education, mediation, therapy, skills training and counselling.
• Children's Contact Services, Specialised Family Violence Services, Contact Orders Program and Men's Line Australia are also funded under the FRSP.
• Many elements of the FRSP directly or indirectly impact on Indigenous families.
• There are approximately 100 organisations funded in all States and Territories.

Child Abuse Prevention: Funding of $5.8 million over 2 years

• For child abuse prevention, improved parenting and building stronger families.
• A key focus being meeting special needs of families in rural and remote areas, Indigenous families and those from multi-cultural backgrounds.
• There are 5 Indigenous-specific projects with funding of $700,000.
• The program, in part, targets Indigenous families.
• The Program is currently under review—35 organisations are receiving interim funding pending the outcome of the review.
• CAP operates in all States and Territories.

National Homelessness Strategy Demonstration Projects

• National Homelessness Strategy Demonstration Projects trial new ways to prevent or respond to homelessness, providing evidence and responding to emerging issues.
• Developing a strategic direction to prevent Indigenous homelessness is a priority area under the Strategy.
• A number of Indigenous specific action research projects have been undertaken, including:

• Waarvah: an Indigenous specific project to produce resources that assist prevention of homelessness among young people in Wide Bay.

• Moving Out of Homelessness: a 15 month study involving 50 families looking at reasons for homelessness and successful responses to support homeless people.

• Homelessness And Parenting Program Initiative (HAPPI): using an action research framework which supports parents and develops positive parenting skills.

• National Analysis of Strategies used to Respond to Indigenous Itinerants: a project to complete a national overview of local strategies being used to address the needs of Indigenous homeless and itinerant people.

• Transitional Lifestyle Project: using an action research framework, this program supports traditional living Aboriginal families moving to metropolitan areas to prevent homelessness.

• Indigenous Safe-houses Pilot: 12 months research into the future directions of safe-houses for women and children in remote Aboriginal communities.

• National Indigenous Homelessness Forum.

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