SSI welcomes child-centred vision for out-of-home care

Leading provider of multicultural out-of-home care services SSI has welcomed a landmark report from the Australian Human Rights Commission that places children’s voices at the centre of national reform efforts. 

The A Ground to Grow From report, based on consultations with over 500 children — including those with lived experience of care and children from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds — offers a blueprint for a more inclusive and responsive care system.  

SSI Executive General Manager, Service Delivery Eric Harper said it was heartening to see the consultations that formed the basis for this report use innovate ways to hear children’s voices within a child-centred approach, with particular recognition of the intersectional identities of Australia’s children, including First Nations and CALD communities. 

“This report is a powerful reminder that children’s voices must shape the systems designed to support them. We particularly welcome the emphasis on belonging, identity, and cultural connection as essential to children’s wellbeing in care,” he said. 

SSI supports many of the report’s recommendations and urges the Australian government and the Department of Social Services (DSS) to take them forward in the upcoming refresh of the National Standards for out-of-home care.  

In particular, SSI echoes the call for agencies to place child rights at the centre of policy and program design, including providing opportunities for meaningful participation and feedback by children on five key national government strategies. 

“We also encourage DSS to integrate children’s perspectives into the policy review and developmentof the National Standards in out-of-home care.  It is particularly important to ensure children with lived experience of the out-of-home-care system are involved in an advisory role,” he said. 

“We commend the AHRC on prioritising children’s voices, including in its recommendation to involve children in the development, design and measurement of their care plans, including cultural plans.” 

SSI’s own policy brief on the development, safety and wellbeing of Australia’s culturally diverse children also sets out a number of recommendations that we encourage DSS to consider during this period of reform. 

This includes a clear framework for a culturally responsive early intervention system to address harm and neglect among CALD families, and stronger policy and practice to uphold cultural connections for CALD children in care.  

Mr Harper said these priorities reflect SSI’s long-standing commitment to ensuring that children from diverse backgrounds are supported to thrive, with their cultural identity and lived experiences respected and upheld. 

“We look forward to working with incoming National Children’s Commissioner Deb Tsorbaris and government partners to ensure these recommendations are implemented in full, so that Australia’s children have a system that listens to them, values their identity, and supports their right to grow in safe, nurturing environments,” Mr Harper said.