Indigenous advocates say culture is safety for children. But proposals in Queensland and the Northern Territory could weaken that link
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In Melissa’s* five-bedroom home, with a large backyard granny flat, space is at a premium. It has to be. Over the years she has made room for her brother’s children and teenage foster kids and their partners, as well as her two children.
Her extended family has been entangled with the child protection system for years. Melissa was just 15 when her brother’s four children were removed from his care as he struggled with substance abuse and incarceration, and watched as her mother fought to keep the family together. After several months, her mother was able to bring the children home.