Two Aboriginal organisations will deliver a pilot program in Armadale and the Kimberley region to support Aboriginal communities to keep children strongly connected to family, culture, community and Country.
Yorganop Association, servicing the metropolitan pilot site in Armadale, will receive $584,706, and Aarnja Ltd in the Kimberley will receive $726,294 to implement the 12-month Aboriginal Representative Organisations (ARO) pilot. The program is expected to commence in November 2022.
A further $1.3 million has been committed to extend the ARO service delivery model for an additional 12 months in the pilot locations following its conclusion in October 2023.
The initiative is a critical step toward implementing changes made last year to the Children and Community Services Act 2004, which include requirements for AROs to be consulted on placement arrangements and cultural support planning for children in their community.
The two organisations were selected based on their existing capacity and expertise, as well as strong local and cultural knowledge, which will strengthen the application of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle and ensure Aboriginal children in care are placed with family and remain in the community.
The Aboriginal Representative Organisation pilot will ensure decisions about Aboriginal children in care are informed by robust cultural consultation. It will support Aboriginal children in care to build and maintain a sense of identity and establish strong connections to family, culture, community and Country, which is fundamental to achieving positive, long-term outcomes.
The introduction of AROs is part of a suite of reforms being undertaken by the Department of Communities to deliver better outcomes for Aboriginal children in care and their families.
