We Stand Against Proposed Changes to NT Child Protection Laws

Family must always come first, family need to be spoken to first and it should always be up to the family to decide.

Margaret Smith, NPY Women’s Council Chairperson

NPY Women’s Council (NPYWC) oppose the proposed plan by the NT Government to change the ‘Care and Protection of Children Act 2007’. We call out the Finocchiaro Government on their intention to make such significant change without consulting Aboriginal Leaders, affected communities and Aboriginal Community Controlled organisations.

The Northern Territory government is planning to amend child protection legislation to give courts and the Department of Children and Families powers to override national guidelines under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle.

Current laws provide protections for Aboriginal children in care, including placing them with family or kin and close to country, however a “special and exceptional circumstance” provision would be added under draft legislation.

NPYWC are concerned that the proposed changes will result in more Anangu children being removed from families, culture and communities which are integral to their wellbeing and safety.

” the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Principle must be implemented in full with no changes when it comes to child protection involvement with Anangu children.”

NPYWC Chair Margaret Smith

NPYWC calls on the NT Government to have a greater investment into community led solutions that support Anangu children to remain with their families, communities and connected to country, language and culture.

Learn more about our Child & Family Wellbeing Service

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Communities like Kaltukatjara (Docker River) face big challenges—finding teachers willing to work outbush, some schools so small that kids from Year 7 to 12 share a classroom, and funding models that just don’t fit their needs. NPY Women’s Council Boarding School Program is bridging the gap, offering students and their families the support they need to access education.

Year 12 Formal Snapshot!

Graduates of the boarding school program often flourish afer graduation having gained confidence and learning to navigate both urban environments and the wider non-Aboriginal culture. Although boarding school is sometimes not the first choice for families, for some it is the only path to continue their education and pursue tertiary studies.

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Child & Family Wellbeing

A New Culturally Rich App for Aṉangu Mothers

A collaboration between our Child Nutrition team and Anangu women has created new app to help new mothers navigate babies first foods and nutrition.

The Tjitjiku Mai (children’s food) app features a food database including bush food and food found in community stores. The app also has an interactive recipes library with step-by-step videos, meditations and children’s songs all presented in Pitjantjatjara, Ngaanyatjarra and English.

The app offers accessible, culturally relevant health resources and a step toward improving health outcomes for Aboriginal families living in the NPY lands.

The app has been designed and developed, through consultation with community members and families to specifically meet the needs of Anangu & Yarnangu families living in the remote NPY region of Australia so they can access relevant health information & resources around infant nutrition and introduction of solids for young children.

The Tjitjiku Mai app features aunties, mothers, sisters and grandmothers offering advice and supporting new mothers in what is often a daunting and stressful time for families navigating growing up young children

Download the app

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