The New South Wales government has launched a landmark Aboriginal family preservation program, backed by a $350 million investment, aimed at preventing Indigenous children from entering out-of-home care. The program, co-designed with First Nations families and Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), focuses on a holistic approach that preserves children's cultural identity and allows them to 'tell their own stories'.
Funding distribution and scope
On Tuesday, the Minns Labor government allocated $350 million to 25 ACCOs across NSW, part of a broader $900 million investment in a redesigned family preservation service system. An additional 30 non-government organisations will also receive funding to support vulnerable families. The initiative seeks to address the severe overrepresentation of Indigenous children in out-of-home care, where they account for 46.1% of children in care despite making up only 7.8% of the child population aged 0–17.
Success story from Coffs Harbour
At Coffs Harbour, the Aboriginal family support service Abcare has already demonstrated success through its healing centre, Bimirr Darrundaygy. The centre provides trauma-informed and culturally safe care, including psychologists, a registered nurse, and narrative therapists who help children 're-author' their life stories. Jack Archibald, a Kamilaroi and Wiradjuri man and narrative therapist at Abcare, described working with a nine-year-old boy named Blake (name changed), who had level 2 autism and lived with his mother and younger brother with level 3 autism. After experiencing domestic violence, Blake struggled to express himself verbally but used drawing to communicate. 'Some of the things that came up within his drawings were incredible,' Archibald said. 'The things that he held inside of his mind, he must’ve been holding on for so long. We started breaking it down in a narrative way and building a new story out of his drawings.' Blake is now thriving, trying new activities and achieving school goals, while his mother receives support from an autism parent group.
Ministerial response
The minister for families and communities, Kate Washington, described the overrepresentation rate as 'way too high' and the reason for the heavy investment. During a visit to Abcare, she heard stories that 'literally gave me chills'. 'They are providing wraparound, holistic support that’s culturally sensitive and responsive and really making a difference,' she said. 'There’s some very special support being provided to families in ways that I haven’t seen happening elsewhere.' Washington added that the program offers lessons for reforming the child protection system statewide.
Program impact and philosophy
First Nations families can now access or be referred to family preservation services through local ACCOs. The program offers intensive support to prevent children from entering foster care by strengthening family connections, building parenting skills, and creating safe home environments. Abcare CEO Greg Bennett, with 40 years in child protection, emphasised that children removed from families should not lose their identity. 'Certainly, coming into care doesn’t mean a loss of identity, which so many times we’ve seen and certainly going back to the Stolen Generations,' he said. 'We work with families the department puts as “at-risk” … so the kids don’t get removed and so the families stay close together.'
