Aboriginal Foster Care NSW: The Child Placement Principle and Cultural Permanency

Aboriginal children are significantly over-represented in the NSW out-of-home care system. They make up around 46% of all children in out-of-home care in NSW — while comprising a much smaller proportion of the general population. This is not a footnote in the system; it is the central equity challenge that shapes policy, funding, and legal obligations for every person involved in NSW foster care.

Whether you are an Aboriginal person considering fostering, a non-Aboriginal carer currently looking after an Aboriginal child, or someone trying to understand how the system approaches cultural identity and permanency, this is the framework that governs decisions about Aboriginal children in NSW.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (ATSICPP) is a legal requirement embedded in NSW child protection policy. It governs all placement decisions for Aboriginal children and young people, and it does so through a clear hierarchy.

When an Aboriginal child cannot live with their birth parents, the preferred placement order is:

1. Extended family or kin of the child
2. An Aboriginal family from the child's community or local area
3. An Aboriginal family from another community
4. A non-Aboriginal family with demonstrated capacity to support the child's cultural connection

A non-Aboriginal family is not the preferred option — it is the last option, chosen only when Aboriginal placements are genuinely unavailable. This is not a bureaucratic preference. It is rooted in the history of the Stolen Generations, in the understanding that removing Aboriginal children from cultural connection causes long-term harm, and in the legal recognition that culture is inseparable from wellbeing.

In NSW, the ATSICPP also governs decisions about permanency. Open adoption — the preferred permanency option for non-Aboriginal children — is not generally pursued for Aboriginal children placed with non-Aboriginal families. Instead, the preferred pathway is guardianship, with strong cultural connection maintained through a Cultural Support Plan.

What Is a Cultural Support Plan?

Every Aboriginal child in out-of-home care in NSW must have a Cultural Support Plan. This is a formal document, developed in consultation with the child's family and community, that sets out how the carer and agency will support the child's connection to their culture, identity, and community.

A Cultural Support Plan typically includes:

• Regular attendance at cultural events and community gatherings
• Maintained contact with extended kin and community Elders
• Connection to Country — for many Aboriginal children, connection to a specific place is foundational to identity
• Language, where relevant
• Knowledge of family history and cultural heritage

The carer is responsible for implementing the Cultural Support Plan. This means actively seeking out cultural activities, maintaining relationships with the child's kin (where safe), and approaching the child's identity as something to be celebrated and supported, not managed.

For non-Aboriginal carers, this is one of the most important — and most honestly challenging — responsibilities. Providing a culturally safe home for an Aboriginal child is not just a matter of good intentions. It requires ongoing effort, cultural humility, and a willingness to engage with a community and history that may be unfamiliar.

The Role of AbSec and KARI

AbSec — the NSW Aboriginal Child, Family and Community Care State Secretariat — is the peak Aboriginal body for child and family welfare in NSW. AbSec advocates for the rights of Aboriginal children and families and supports the development of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) as service providers.

AbSec also operates an Aboriginal Foster Care Support Service, providing specific support and advocacy for carers of Aboriginal children, including carers who are themselves Aboriginal. If you are fostering an Aboriginal child and feeling uncertain about how to implement the Cultural Support Plan or how to navigate relationships with the child's extended family, AbSec is a key resource.

KARI Australia is one of the largest and most prominent Aboriginal community-controlled organisations providing out-of-home care services in NSW. KARI is an accredited foster care agency and specifically focuses on placing Aboriginal children with Aboriginal families. They also provide training and support for non-Aboriginal carers who are caring for Aboriginal children.

If you are an Aboriginal person who is interested in fostering, approaching KARI or another ACCO directly is the recommended first step. They understand the specific context of Aboriginal fostering, including the family and community dynamics that often make kinship care arrangements complex and the additional support that Aboriginal carers sometimes need.

The NSW Government's $350 Million Commitment

In 2024, the NSW Government announced a $350 million investment to expand the role of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations in the out-of-home care sector. The goal is to increase the proportion of Aboriginal children placed with Aboriginal families and organisations — reducing the reliance on non-Aboriginal carers and ensuring that cultural permanency is structurally supported rather than aspirational.

This investment includes funding for more ACCO caseworkers, expanded family preservation programs (to prevent removal in the first place), and community-based support services that keep Aboriginal families together.

For the NSW system overall, this shift represents a recognition that the over-representation of Aboriginal children in care is not inevitable — it is a consequence of systemic factors that can be addressed through genuine self-determination and community-led solutions.

Responsibilities for Non-Aboriginal Carers of Aboriginal Children

If you are not Aboriginal and you are currently fostering or considering fostering an Aboriginal child, the following responsibilities apply to you:

Cultural Support Plan implementation. You are responsible for the day-to-day delivery of the plan. This is not optional, and it will be reviewed as part of your Annual Carer Review.

No adoption pathway. Open adoption from care is not the appropriate permanency goal for Aboriginal children placed with non-Aboriginal carers. Guardianship, with maintained cultural connection, is the preferred outcome.

Active relationship with kin. Where safe, you are expected to facilitate the child's relationship with their extended family — not just formal "family time" visits, but genuine community connection.

Cultural competency training. Your agency should provide cultural competency support, and in some cases will connect you with an Aboriginal liaison worker or cultural mentor. Seek this out proactively if it hasn't been offered.

Honesty with yourself. The research and the history of the Stolen Generations are clear: Aboriginal children who lose connection to culture experience long-term harm. If you cannot genuinely commit to implementing a Cultural Support Plan — whether due to geography, relationships, or capacity — that is important information to be honest about with your agency.

For Aboriginal Prospective Carers

If you are Aboriginal and considering fostering, the NSW system actively needs you. Aboriginal carers who can provide culturally safe placements for Aboriginal children are in short supply, particularly in regional and remote areas.

You are eligible for the same authorisation pathway, the same fortnightly care allowance, and the same support as any other carer. Approaching KARI, AbSec, or another ACCO will connect you with workers who understand the specific context of Aboriginal kinship and community dynamics in a way that a mainstream agency may not.

The New South Wales Foster Care Guide provides a full overview of the ATSICPP, Cultural Support Plans, and the specific obligations that apply to carers of Aboriginal children in NSW.

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