Call for a National Commissioner for First Nations Children
Media Release: Major Child Protection Agencies Join SNAICC in Backing a National Commissioner For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children at The SNAICC23 Conference
6th September 2023
In a show of unity, Allies for Children, a newly formed Alliance of Child Protection agencies have joined in support of SNAICC – National Voice for Our Children and its calls for an independent National Commissioner dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Allies for Children includes some of the country's largest child and family organisations including OzChild, Key Assets, Life Without Barriers, Barnardos Australia, Mackillop and The Benevolent Society. The partnership was formed to drive real and sustained change to benefit children across the country and to do so through collaboration and scale.
Spokesperson for the Allies, Claire Robbs CEO of Life Without Barriers said SNAICC have been calling for a National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children for 42 years.
“The Allies for Children believe it’s time the Federal Government heads the calls of the sector and peak bodies to establish a National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children,” Ms Robbs said.
“The need for a National Commissioner has been at the forefront of SNAICC’s work for decades, and now we have government representatives and advocates joining their call for this position because they recognise how vital this role is for the future of First Nations young people.
“I can see no greater impact that the Federal Government could make to both the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and to their commitments to the Closing the Gap Agreement than working with SNAICC on this key priority for our nation.”
Lin Hatfield Dodds, CEO of The Benevolent Society said the sector is united in supporting a National Commissioner and believes the Peak Body for Children must be at the table with the Federal Government to have the Commissioner established.
“As SNAICC’s CEO, Catherine Liddle stated today, this is the action that First Nations communities are asking for – a Commissioner could be established and start work that will directly benefit children by the end of this year,” Ms Hatfield Dodds said.
“I can see no greater impact that the Federal Government could make to both the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and to their commitments to the Closing the Gap Agreement than working with SNAICC on this key priority for our nation.”