Aboriginal Kinship Care in the ACT: Payments, Cultural Support and the Placement Principle

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle

When a First Nations child in the ACT needs care outside their immediate family, the Children and Young People Act 2008 (ACT) embeds the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle in the Territory's child-welfare framework. The principle guides placement decisions and focuses on maintaining the child's connections to family, community and culture.

The principle is part of ACT child-welfare policy and informs CSD decisions about placement and cultural support.

The CSD Cultural Services Team

The Community Services Directorate operates a dedicated Cultural Services Team specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families in the care system. The team works alongside the Kinship Assessment and Support Team to ensure cultural safety throughout the placement process.

What the Cultural Services Team does:

• Develops cultural support plans for First Nations children in statutory placements
• Connects kinship carers with community-controlled organisations and Elders
• Supports carers in maintaining the child's connection to language, country and cultural practices
• Advocates within CSD for culturally appropriate decisions about care, contact and schooling

Contact the Cultural Services Team directly at (02) 6207 2228 or [email protected]. You do not need to wait for a caseworker referral.

Financial Support for Aboriginal Kinship Carers

The same payment framework applies to all kinship carers in the ACT, regardless of cultural background. But the pathways matter, because informal Aboriginal kinship care is deeply embedded in First Nations family structures — many carers step in through cultural obligation long before any government agency is involved.

If you are an informal carer (no CSD involvement, no court order):

• Family Tax Benefit Parts A and B through Centrelink — at least 35% actual care is the threshold for a proportion of FTB, subject to other rules, including restrictions when you live with the child's birth parent
• Foster Child Health Care Card — issued in the child's name, no means test against your income
• Double Orphan Pension — if both parents are deceased, or one has died and the surviving parent is incarcerated for at least 10 years, admitted to a psychiatric institution indefinitely, or missing after reasonable search efforts
• Additional Child Care Subsidy (Grandparent) — for eligible grandparents on income support, up to 100% of the benchmark fee for up to 100 hours per fortnight, without the standard activity test
• Carer Allowance — if the child has a recognised disability or severe medical condition

If CSD has placed the child with you (statutory placement):

• ACT Foster and Kinship Care Subsidy — fortnightly, tax-exempt, not counted as income for Centrelink purposes
• Discretionary reimbursements for approved education, health, establishment and transport costs
• Casework support through CSD or a contracted agency

The Centrelink Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser Line (1800 245 965) has specialist advisers who can help navigate the specific situation of Aboriginal kinship carers claiming entitlements without formal court orders.

Gugan Gulwan and Community-Controlled Organisations

Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation provides family support, youth programs and community advocacy in the Canberra region. For kinship carers, Gugan Gulwan can be a point of connection to broader community networks, cultural activities and practical support.

The ACT's three Child and Family Centres — Tuggeranong, West Belconnen and Gungahlin — run Koori playgroups and culturally safe family programs. These are open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, whether your care arrangement is informal or statutory.

Advocating for Cultural Needs Within the System

If you are a statutory carer and you feel the child's cultural support plan is not being followed, or that decisions are being made without proper regard to the Placement Principle, you have the right to raise this. Start with the Cultural Services Team. If the issue is not resolved internally, Carers ACT's Kinship and Foster Carers Advocacy Service (02 6296 9965) can provide independent support.

For legal matters — care and protection proceedings, disputes about placement or contact — Legal Aid ACT (1300 654 314) provides free advice.

Getting Organised

Navigating Centrelink claims, school enrolment and medical consent is the same administrative challenge for all kinship carers — but the cultural dimension adds complexity when you are also maintaining connections to country and community. The ACT Kinship Carer Support Guide covers every payment, form and agency contact in one place, with tracking worksheets to keep your records organised while you focus on the child.

See more Australian Capital Territory guides →