00:00A damning assessment of South Australia's child protection system.
00:06Children get disconnected from their families, they get disconnected from their culture,
00:10they get disconnected from their community, their rights get trampled on.
00:14April Laurie has spent almost two years investigating the removal of Aboriginal children from their
00:20families.
00:21She says the child protection system is institutionally racist.
00:26We've got things very wrong here in South Australia.
00:29They need fixing.
00:30In a report tabled in SA Parliament, Ms Laurie wrote the state was unnecessarily removing
00:35disproportionate and growing numbers of Aboriginal children from their families.
00:40She warned the numbers of children being removed are approaching levels akin to the stolen
00:45generations.
00:47We have an institution as child protection that has inherited the legacy of the stolen
00:54generations that continually removes our children at alarming rates compared to non-Aboriginal
01:00children.
01:01Aboriginal children make up 5% of all children in SA, but they represent 37% of all children
01:08in out of home care.
01:10Ms Laurie says some First Nations babies are removed just hours after birth.
01:16This abhorrent practice of uninformed removals in birthing hospitals needs to cease.
01:23The state's Child Protection Minister responded in Parliament acknowledging removal rates
01:27are unacceptable.
01:29There are multiple and complex factors that contribute to this situation and across government
01:36we are steadfastly committed to the national Closing the Gap targets.
01:41Ms Laurie has made 32 recommendations to the government.
01:45We need more of investment in prevention.
01:49We need legislative changes to restore best interests as the primacy for our Aboriginal
01:57children and young people.
01:58The Child Protection Minister says she'll consider the recommendations.
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