The National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People (the National Commission) has called for an urgent whole-of-government approach to close the gap and address the ongoing overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in out-of-home care in Queensland. These calls follow the release of the Queensland Commission of Inquiry into the Child Safety Systems Final Report.
The Report, called From Pressure to Purpose: Reforming Child Protection in Queensland, was released after 10 months of investigation into the long-standing failures of Queensland’s child protection system. It contains 52 recommendations informed by 1,193 submissions, 49 hearings and youth consultation sessions involving more than 50 young people.
First Nations children make up around 8% of Queensland's child population but account for approximately half of all children in out-of-home care. In Queensland, First Nations children are placed in out-of-home care nearly 10 times the rate of non-Indigenous children, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2025.
National Commissioner, Sue-Anne Hunter, said the findings reinforced the need for our governments to work together to address the systemic drivers of child removal and invest in community-led solutions.
“This report has come at such a critical time – too many of our children are living away from their families and communities and being placed in out-of-home care across Queensland, but this is not the solution,” said National Commissioner Hunter.
“We know when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are connected to culture, Community, and family that our people do better, live better and have better outcomes. Out-of-home care is a band-aid solution. What is happening in Queensland is evidence of that.”
The National Commission is watching the report’s adoption and permanency recommendations closely.
“Culture is a protective factor for our children… When we permanently remove them from their families, it has a lasting impact on their sense of identity, and health and wellbeing outcomes.”
“Permanency must mean stability and belonging for the child. It must not become a way for the state to move our children permanently away from family and culture, or to discharge its own accountability for failures in care.”
The National Commission does not support the recommendations from the Report that make the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (ATSICPP) subordinate to the paramount principle, nor does it accept the Report's findings that racism is not a factor in the removal of First Nations children and young people from their homes.
“We want to be incredibly clear… The ATSICPP does not interfere with the safety of a child; it enhances the protections,” said National Commissioner Hunter.
“When it comes to the safety of our children, the ATSICPP is always considered alongside the paramount principle – it’s not one or the other. Where the Queensland Government has misapplied the principle, the answer is to apply it properly, to the standard of Active Efforts, not to write it down to second place in the law.”
“We do not accept the finding that racism plays no part in why our children are removed. Under the National Closing the Gap Agreement, our governments have already accepted that this overrepresentation is driven by colonisation, trauma and systemic racism.”
“For racism to be dismissed in this Report shows exactly where the issues lie in Queensland.”
The National Commission reaffirms the critical role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations (ATSICCOs) play across the nation in delivering family-led decision-making, early intervention and prevention services. The National Commission is calling for increased investment from the Queensland Government to strengthen the role it plays within the state to rectify the overrepresentation of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the child protection system.
“We know what works best for our families. Our community-controlled organisations play a crucial role in providing a safe and supported space, and keeping our kids connected to culture and family,” said National Commissioner Hunter.
“They must be properly funded to be able to deliver meaningful family-led decision making, early intervention and prevention programs. This can start in Queensland and should. The findings from the Report speak to that.”
The National Commission acknowledges the ongoing work of the Queensland Family and Child Commission in monitoring government commitments under the Our Way Strategy and is looking forward to the appointment of the next First Nations Children’s Commissioner in Queensland.
“While we welcome many of the 52 recommendations, we are concerned that aspects of the Report do not adequately uphold the rights of First Nations children, young people and families.”
“I want to thank the children and families who gave evidence to this inquiry and submitted their stories – they deserve a positive outcome from this report, and we will do everything we can to ensure the recommendations that improve the lives of our children are implemented.”
For more information on the National Commission, visit www.ncatsicyp.gov.au