Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People

CREATE Foundation recognises First Nations peoples as the traditional custodians of Australia including its lands and waterways. CREATE supports a just and equitable Australia where respect for First Nations peoples is afforded, and where all Australians can move forward together in the spirit of equity and justice.  

CREATE Foundation respects the rights of First Nations peoples to maintain their culture and to be involved and participate in decisions that affect their lives and future in a manner consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child. CREATE is committed to improving the lives of all children and young people with a care experience and acknowledges the impact of colonisation and the stolen generation in the community and the resulting impact of the over representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people within the out-of-home care system.

 Our commitment to improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people is contained within our Strategic Plan. We reviewed our capacity and resources, and consulted with a range of Indigenous people and agencies to explore how we would express our commitment to First Nations children and young people. We wanted our practice and commitment to First Nations children and young people to be seamless and inclusive, rather than having two documents sitting side by side. We felt that an integrated Strategic Plan was an attractive alternative to having a stand-alone document such as a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). We recognise that there are many ways for individuals and organisations to express their commitment to First Nations peoples and CREATE will continue to explore how best we do this.

Our commitment is to offer an inclusive service, and range of programs and activities to First Nations children and young people and this is articulated within this plan with clear and measurable strategies to ensure our commitments are actioned. This plan includes three pivotal focus areas: relationships, rights and respect. 

CREATE is also committed to ensuring that the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, is proportionate to the population.