Cross-border child protection hub aims to keep Indigenous children connected to families

A new initiative, Ngura Kutju, has been established in Alice Springs to assist Indigenous families in navigating the complex child protection systems that span the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and South Australia. This 12-month trial aims to bridge the gap for families living in the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Lands, an area where communities and culture are deeply intertwined but are subject to the administrative lines of three different jurisdictions.

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It's very hard for our women on the lands who want to get in touch with the welfare agency.

Margaret Smith, chairperson of the NPY Women's Council, highlighted the challenges families face when trying to connect with child protection services. "It's very hard for our women on the lands who want to get in touch with the welfare agency," she said, describing a frustrating process of being passed between multiple phone lines without resolution. This difficulty can lead to families feeling disconnected and uninformed about decisions concerning children in their care.

The Ngura Kutju hub, which means "one place" in Pitjantjatjara, is a direct result of advocacy by the NPY Women's Council. Following a 2021 meeting with child protection leaders from the three states, a memorandum of understanding was formed to improve the system. The hub will advocate for families, ensure clear communication, and facilitate opportunities for children to maintain connections to their families, country, and culture.

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Ngura Kutju means one place. It represents the tri-states … we've got three of them working as one.

Wanatjura Lewis, director of the NPY Women's Council, expressed hope that the service will be extended beyond the pilot phase. She emphasized the emotional toll on families when children are removed, stating, "When the kids are taken away, we all feel broken-hearted and the spirit is lost." Lewis noted that children in care often grow up speaking only English, losing touch with their heritage and sense of belonging.

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When the kids are taken away, we all feel broken-hearted and the spirit is lost. When them kids has been taken away from welfare, or in somebody's care, they've grown up in that world, just speaking in the English tongue, and they don't know where they come from, where their land is and their language, and they are lost.