National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day is celebrated on 4 August 2015 and is the largest national day to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It is a time for all Australians to celebrate and learn about the protective influence that community, culture and family play in the lives of every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child. This year’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day theme, Little People, Big Futures, is all about helping kids stand tall and feel connected and proud in culture. Having a strong connection to culture helps Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children develop a strong sense of self, a comprehensive education, and a big future.
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day is about supporting and celebrating the services that empower children to have big futures. These services are crucial for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, especially for those who experience greater rates of out-of-home care.
Did you know?
• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is much younger than the wider Australian community population, with more than one in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people under 15 years of age (compared with one-fifth of the wider Australian community).
• Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures contain natural protective and wellbeing features such as kinship networks.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are healthier and happier when they have strong language, culture and cultural identity.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are almost 10 times more likely to be placed in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children.
• While comprising just 5.5% of all children aged 0-17 years in Australia, in 2013-14 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children amounted to nearly 35% of all children placed in out-of-home care.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teenagers in urban and regional areas attend school more regularly if they speak an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language.
• Where cultural identity is strong, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are more likely to complete secondary school.
• Indigenous children are over-represented in out-of-home care across all age groups.
For more information about National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day, please go to their website at: http://aboriginalchildrensday.com.au/
