The Northern Territory‘s plan to send neglected Indigenous children into adoptive homes has sparked fears of creating another Stolen Generation.
The Northern Territory government has sparked fears of creating another Stolen Generation, following a plan outlined to send neglected Indigenous children into adoptive homes.
Chief Minister Adam Giles has told News Limited, previous governments have not protected children from abuse and neglect, because of criticism about creating another Stolen Generation.
He adds that such a plan would only be carried out on a case-by-case basis, ruling out a mass grab of children.
Deputy Chief Minister David Tollner has told the ABC it is a much-needed alternative solution.
“We seem to think it is OK to put that child in to foster care, you know, time after time after time after time, when there are decent, loving people out there who want to adopt, who will raise that child in a loving environment. I think it is a terrible indictment on us as a society that there are these sacred cows that we can’t go near.”
A Stolen Generation support group says it’s shocked by the Northern Territory government’s plan to send neglected Indigenous children into adoptive care.
Head of the Northern Territory Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation Vicki-Lee Knowles says Mr Giles is disregarding critical recommendations made in a major report by the Australian Human Rights Commission.
“One of the major recommendations was that all jurisdictions should adopt the Aboriginal Child Placement Principles. The reason for that was to try to ensure that when children are at risk that they be placed in a foster or adoptive situation within extended family in the first instance and if not, within an Aboriginal family beyond that.”
Source: SBS World News – Alarm over NT plan on neglected Indigenous kidsRelated articles
- Australia must improve performance on indigenous education (craighill.net)
- Adoption an option for neglected Indigenous children (australiantimes.co.uk)
- ‘We’ll take kids away if we have to’ (dailytelegraph.com.au)
- Aboriginal adoption plans spark new fears (nst.com.my)
- Indigenous adoption push prompts Stolen Generation fears (abc.net.au)
- ‘Sapphires’ actor O’Dowd on aboriginal similarity (readingeagle.com)
- The Stolen Generations (dailykos.com)
- NACCHO 2013 budget alert: Aboriginal health spending: Where does the money go? (nacchocommunique.com)
- Stolen Generation art returns to Perth (bigpondnews.com)
- Northern Territory signs to NDIS (bigpondnews.com)
- NT leader signs on to disability scheme (news.theage.com.au)
Craig Hill Media and Consulting 
It might make for a more palatable solution to try to educate the parents first. Removing the children from the only home they have known could produce long-term attachment problems. The American Indians children removed from their homes haven’t fared well.
Posted by MissesC | May 15, 2013, 13:16