Pathways from out-of-home care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

There are multiple paths a child in out-of-home care (as per the nationally consistent definition of out-of-home care) can move through when transitioning from out-of-home care. These pathways from out-of-home care include children who are being:

  • reunified with their families
  • placed in a third-party care arrangement
  • adopted from care
  • aged-out of care once they turn 18 years old
  • transitioned to other placements that are out-of-scope for out-of-home care (for example, a non-funded placement where they live independently).

Refer to the Glossary for more information on the different pathways from out-of-home care.

States and territories have committed to the safe reunification of children with families as part of the broader commitment to implement the ATSICPP to the standard of active efforts (DSS 2022; AIHW 2022).

Reunification is covered by the connection element of the ATSICPP. Reunifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care with their families can mean re-establishing the closest possible connection to their family, community and culture (SNAICC 2017). Children are considered to be eligible for reunification if they are in out-of-home care.

Considerations for pathways from out-of-home care

Different jurisdictional policies and practice can affect the comparability of pathways data, including:

  • There is no nationally agreed definition for reunifications. As such, reporting of permanency events relating to reunification is based on local definitions of reunification.
  • Third-party parental responsibility orders vary across jurisdictions with the biggest difference relating to the provision of ongoing case management in some cases.

Refer to the Appendices for more information on differences in jurisdictions’ policy and practice.

How many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were discharged from out-of-home care?

In 2022–23, about 4,200 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were discharged from out-of-home care. Of these children:

  • 31% (1,300) were in out-of-home care for less than 6 months
  • 28% (1,200) were in out-of-home care for 5 years or more.

Source: CPA 2022–23: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, data table 10.12

The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children discharged from out-of-home care increased with age, ranging from around 160 for those aged under one year to about 1,600 for those aged 15–17 years.

Source: CPA 2022–23: Insights, data table S5.2

Types of pathways from out-of-home care

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children discharged from out-of-home care in 2022–23:

  • 39% (1,700) were reunified
  • 7.9% (335) were placed on third-party orders
  • 3 children were adopted
  • 18% (780) aged-out
  • 34% (1,500) of children discharged from out-of-home care did not fall into the above categories. This may include (but is not limited to) children who transition to live independently in a non-funded placement or are in detention (Figure 6).

Source: CPA 2022–23: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, data table 10.13

Figure 7: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were discharged from out-of-home care, by exit pathway

Interactive bar charts showing the number and per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were discharged from out-of-home care (OOHC) in 2022–23, by exit pathway.

Interactive bar charts showing the number and per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were discharged from out-of-home care (OOHC) in 2022–23, by exit pathway.

The ATSICPP states that reunification of children must be considered early, and plans and culturally safe supports must be put in place to support reunification where it is identified as possible (SNAICC 2017). Of the 1,700 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were reunified in 2022–23:

  • 93% (1,500) were reunified with birth parents.
  • 42% (710) were reunified within 6 months.
  • Younger children in out-of-home care had a higher proportion of reunifications. 17% (120) of children under 1 years old were reunified, and this declined steadily with higher age groups to 5.1% (125) of 16–17-year-olds in out-of-home care being reunified.

Sources: CPA 2022–23: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, data tables 10.14, 10.17 and 10.18

Figure 8: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, by whether they were reunified and age group

Interactive bar charts showing the number and per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by whether they were reunified and age group, for 2017–18 to 2022–23.

Interactive bar charts showing the number and per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by whether they were reunified and age group, for 2017–18 to 2022–23.

Figure 9: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were reunified, by time from admission

Interactive bar charts showing the number and per cent of children who exit OOHC to reunification, by time from admission for 2017–18 to 2022–23.

Interactive bar charts showing the number and per cent of children who exit OOHC to reunification, by time from admission for 2017–18 to 2022–23.

Around 1,700 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 0–16 years were reunified in 2021–22*. Of these, 84% (1,400) did not return to out-of-home care within 12 months of reunification (Figure 8).

Source: CPA 2022–23: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, data table 10.19

* These data are collected from the 2022–23 data collection. The 2022–23 data collection allows reporting for events beginning in 2021–22, due to the 12-month follow-up period for this item.

Figure 10: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who exited out-of-home care to reunification, by whether they returned to out-of-home care within 12 months

Interactive bar charts showing the number and per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who exited out-of-home care to reunification in 2016–17 to 2021–22, by whether they returned to OOHC within 12 months, 2016–17 to 2021–22.

Interactive bar charts showing the number and per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who exited out-of-home care to reunification in 2016–17 to 2021–22, by whether they returned to OOHC within 12 months, 2016–17 to 2021–22.
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