Children in Care Deserve More Than Survival: The Case for Culture. Why cultural connection is the key to better futures for Aboriginal kids in care.
In Australia today, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 11 times more likely to be removed from their families and placed in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children.
Let that sink in.
Despite inquiries, reforms, and apologies — the numbers haven’t improved. In some jurisdictions, they’ve gotten worse.
But the statistics only tell part of the story. Behind the data are thousands of young lives — growing up away from family, Country, and culture. And while survival is often the benchmark, we must ask: What kind of future are we preparing them for?
What the Research Tells Us
The evidence is clear: cultural connection is not a ‘nice to have’ — it’s a protective factor.
According to research by SNAICC, the AIHW, and the Family Matters Report, children who maintain strong links to culture:
Experience lower levels of identity-based trauma
Are more likely to engage with education and community
Report better emotional and mental health outcomes
Have increased resilience and life satisfaction as adults
In contrast, children who are cut off from culture often experience a deep loss of identity, which can manifest in disengagement, behavioural challenges, and disconnection later in life.
Culture is the System That Held Us
Before colonisation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were raised in strong, complex systems of care — grounded in kinship, community, and story. Those systems weren’t broken — they were interrupted.
The current child protection system too often misunderstands or overlooks this. It focuses on compliance, not connection. On containment, not belonging.
What We Do at Dreaming Futures
At Dreaming Futures, we’re not waiting for the system to catch up. We’re creating safe, culturally strong spaces where kids in care can reconnect with who they are — and start building futures they can believe in.
Through on-Country camps, life skills training, and long-term mentorship, we help young people:
Strengthen identity through cultural practices and story
Build trust with Elders, mentors, and peers
Learn practical skills in a safe, supportive environment
Reclaim hope for the future
Every Dreaming Futures program is grounded in the SAFE Method, ensuring young people experience safety at every level — from personal healing to system-level advocacy.
We Don’t Need to Reinvent the Wheel — We Need to Restore It
Culture is not an add-on. It’s not optional. It’s the very thing that holds Aboriginal kids strong.
As the old saying goes: If you don’t know where you’re from, how do you know where you’re going?
If we want better futures for our kids, we have to stop focusing on survival — and start building systems that support healing, leadership, and cultural strength.
Want to support a young person in care to reconnect with culture?
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