Aboriginal Kinship Care in South Australia: Payments and Support

Kinship Care and Aboriginal Families in SA

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families represent a significant proportion of kinship care arrangements in South Australia. Extended family networks have always shared caregiving — aunties, uncles, grandparents and community Elders stepping in when parents cannot care for a child. The challenge arises when government systems, built around nuclear-family paperwork, do not recognise these cultural structures.

Aboriginal kinship carers access the same two payment systems as all SA carers — DCP state payments for statutory placements and Centrelink federal payments for informal arrangements — but additional protections and support services exist specifically for First Nations families.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (ATSICPP) applies to statutory decisions about Aboriginal children under section 12 of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017 (SA). Section 12(3)(c) specifically requires DCP to consult with and consider recommendations from a recognised Aboriginal organisation when making placement decisions. The principle establishes a hierarchy:

1. Placement with the child's extended Aboriginal family
2. Placement with Aboriginal members of the child's community
3. Placement with other Aboriginal people
4. Placement with a non-Aboriginal carer as a last resort, with cultural connection maintained

The ATSICPP is not optional guidance. It is a statutory obligation for DCP and the Youth Court. When a child enters the child protection system, DCP must actively seek family and community placements before considering non-Aboriginal options, and must develop a cultural maintenance plan for every Aboriginal child in out-of-home care.

Key Support Organisations

Aboriginal Family Support Services (AFSS) delivers culturally safe family support, kinship placement preservation and cultural mentoring across Adelaide, Port Augusta, Mount Gambier, Ceduna and remote regions. AFSS works to keep children connected to culture, language and Country while supporting carers through the practical demands of raising them.

Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) provides free legal advice, representation and advocacy for Aboriginal carers navigating Youth Court interventions, child protection disputes and family law proceedings. If DCP is involved in your family's situation, ALRM should be your first call for legal support.

Grandcarers SA serves all kinship carers regardless of cultural background, offering Village peer groups, emergency material assistance and system navigation. Some Aboriginal carers find the Village groups helpful alongside culturally specific services.

Payments Available

The financial support structure is the same as for all SA kinship carers:

Statutory placements (DCP order in place): DCP Carer Support Payments, Special Needs Loadings, incidental payments, start-up grants and post-18 support.

Informal arrangements (no DCP order): Centrelink Family Tax Benefit Parts A and B, ACCS (Grandparent) for childcare, Double Orphan Pension, Parenting Payment Single, Carer Allowance and Carer Payment for children with disabilities. State concessions through ConcessionsSA apply based on your card status.

The Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Adviser Line (1800 245 965) is the dedicated Centrelink line that handles non-parent carer claims.

Where the System Creates Friction

Aboriginal kinship care arrangements often involve shared or rotating caregiving within an extended family network, rather than a single named carer in a fixed address. Standard government forms — which ask for one primary carer, one residential address and one set of care percentages — do not map easily onto these structures.

Common friction points:

• Centrelink requiring a single "primary carer" when care is genuinely shared across household members
• Schools asking for one adult with enrolment authority when multiple family members are involved in the child's daily life
• DCP caseworkers not fully understanding kinship obligations under traditional law that influence care arrangements

If you hit these barriers, AFSS and ALRM can advocate on your behalf. The Legal Services Commission Helpline (1300 366 424) also provides free initial advice.

Cultural Connection and Care

Raising an Aboriginal child means maintaining their connection to culture, community, language and Country — regardless of whether the care is formal or informal. For statutory placements, DCP is required to develop and resource a cultural maintenance plan. For informal arrangements, that responsibility falls to the family.

Organisations like AFSS can help connect children and carers with cultural programs, language groups and community events across metropolitan and regional SA.

Getting Organised

Our SA kinship carer guide covers the full payment and paperwork landscape for every care arrangement type, including the specific evidence that Centrelink and schools accept from Aboriginal kinship carers when standard documentation does not fit the family structure.

See more South Australia guides →