Background: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with a disability are over-represented in child welfare systems worldwide. Despite this, little is known about their involvement with the Australian child protection system or their lived experiences.
Method: Led by Indigenous researchers and methodologies, qualitative findings from yarning sessions with 46 kinship carers across Western Australia informed this research. This research is part of the Indigenous Child Removals WA (I-CaRe WA) project.
Results: Difficulty accessing disability assessments and diagnoses for children resulted in a lack of access to disability support services and missed opportunities for early intervention. Priority areas for improvement included appropriate and accessible training for carers and practice support.
Conclusion: Urgent reform to account for the needs of Aboriginal kinship carers and children with disabilities in their care is required to improve their health and wellbeing.
