The removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families has reached alarming levels, 18 years after the National Apology delivered by then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on February 13, 2008. Researchers, including A/Prof. BJ Newton from the University of New South Wales, highlight that despite national commitments to rectify past injustices, child removals are escalating at unprecedented rates.
The National Apology was intended to acknowledge the suffering inflicted on the Stolen Generations and to signal a commitment to restorative justice. Many remember Rudd’s heartfelt address as a pivotal moment in Australian history, a promise that the era of state-sanctioned child removals would end. Unfortunately, the reality has diverged sharply from this ideal.
“This escalation reflects the ongoing failure of governments to confront systemic racism within child protection systems,” states A/Prof. Newton. Since around 2012, jurisdictions across Australia have adopted Structured Decision Making tools, assessment frameworks that are increasingly recognized as racially biased. Following scrutiny, both Queensland and New South Wales suspended their use, while other areas are reviewing these practices.
Despite these actions, the situation for the over 22,000 Aboriginal children currently in out-of-home care (OOHC) remains dire. “Once children enter OOHC, legislative and bureaucratic barriers make reunification extremely difficult,” A/Prof. Newton explains. The lack of effective measures to restore these children to their families continues to exacerbate the crisis.
The Apology speeches themselves, as noted by A/Prof. Newton, hinted at the failures that linger today. Neither Rudd nor the then-Opposition Leader, Brendan Nelson, fully addressed the ongoing removal of Aboriginal children. Nelson’s speech, while acknowledging past wrongs, included language that reinforced harmful stereotypes, suggesting that such actions were often well-intentioned.
Rudd’s words emphasized the need to confront “unfinished business,” yet both speeches neglected to acknowledge contemporary systemic injustices. This oversight has contributed to the current state of affairs, where the Closing the Gap Target 12 aims to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal children in OOHC by 45% by 2031, but is failing to make meaningful progress. As removals continue at high rates, governments have been reluctant to address the structural drivers behind child removals or to work towards restoring children currently in care.
“Aboriginal communities have more than two centuries of evidence that government interventions continue to prioritise control over Aboriginal self-determination,” A/Prof. Newton asserts. Genuine change will require a shift in approach, with governments stepping aside to support Aboriginal-led, rights-based, and anti-colonial systems of care.
As Australia reflects on the National Apology nearly two decades later, the urgent need for systemic change remains clear. The path to genuine reconciliation and justice requires a commitment not only to acknowledge past wrongs but to actively dismantle the barriers that perpetuate the cycle of removal and displacement.
