It’s been two years since actress and Yolngu woman Rarriwuy Hick started the hashtag #ourkidsbelongwithfamily. Her two nephews were in foster care and she was in an ongoing battle for their guardianship. Together with her father Paul Hick, she won – and in the process, opened our eyes to the number of Aboriginal kids in out-of-home care. It was at an all-time high and it still is.
Today, Rarriwuy is asking us all to get on board her social media campaign again to raise awareness about Indigenous children who are placed into the welfare system, and help the kids who have relatives capable of loving and caring for them.
Did you know that Indigenous kids are over NINE TIMES more likely than non-indigenous kids to be placed in out-of-home care?
And did you know that Indigenous kids only make up 4% of the population but ONE THIRD of kids in out-of-home care are Aboriginal?
There’s a report by former Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People in Victoria, Andrew Jackomos that shows how NINE OUT OF TEN Indigenous kids who are in out-of-home care are placed with non-Indigenous families. That’s despite welfare protocols saying they should be placed with a safe family member or a safe Indigenous family first.
But it’s just not happening.
In a blog post, Rarriwuy and partner Meyne Wyatt explain how important this is:
“We just want the options for Aboriginal children to be with their families to be explored greater and further—exhausted even. There are families who want their children. Just the way we do. And if after the greatest search there aren’t, then by all means place children within a loving and safe non-Indigenous family. But culture is important. Cultural identity is important. Connections and communications to family is important……We know the horrors and traumas of the Stolen Generations. How our people were affected when children were taken away.”
Many celebrities including Deborah Mailman, Jake Ryan, Yael Stone and Ryan Corr have shown their support for Rarriwuy’s hashtag #ourkidsbelongwithfamily.
View this post on Instagram
#ourkidsbelongwithfamily STOP FORCIBLY REMOVING INDIGENOUS KIDS!!! ♥️🌕🖤 spread the word
And you can join the campaign too. All you have to do is post a photo of yourself with the hashtag #ourkidsbelongwithfamily written on a piece of paper.
