An Aboriginal-led, systemic solution to Aboriginal baby removals in Australia: Development of the Bringing Up Aboriginal Babies at Home program

Abstract

The increasing rate of statutory Aboriginal infant removal in Australia, which has reached almost 10% of live births in the state of Victoria, is a crisis motivating radical change in child protection pathways. This paper describes the problem analysis and design phases of an Aboriginal-led systems change project intended to ensure Aboriginal infants are raised safe and strong in family, Community, and culture by creating a response capable of shifting underlying system factors. Dialogue and deliberation processes involving 27 practitioners working within Aboriginal health and social care programs in the Bayside Peninsula Area of metropolitan Melbourne, the traditional land of the Bunurong people, was the overarching method used to develop a shared understanding of the problem of Aboriginal infant removals and reach a consensus about what to do in the local system. The themes that emerged during problem analysis reflect a risk/bias theoretical perspective, and in the design phase, it was deemed necessary to reduce both child safety-related risk as well as bias in the child protection system that responds to risk. The ensuing Bringing Up Aboriginal Babies at Home program has a clear systems theory of change, and a service blueprint describing how it is going to be implemented. Bringing Up Aboriginal Babies at Home practice resonates with other programs that have evolved independently in Australia and in other western child protection jurisdictions to reduce infant removals, including building trust for engagement, inspiring hope, openness and transparency, activating extended networks of formal and informal supports, and close collaboration with antenatal and child protection services. Program evaluation will determine whether Bringing Up Aboriginal Babies at Home (BUABAH) can be implemented with fidelity, tackle identified system flaws, reduce the number of Aboriginal infants taken into statutory care and become sustainable.