Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
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.
Keywords
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, disability, Early intervention and culturally safety, Kinship care, Neurodevelopmental disorders, out-of-home care (OOHC)
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
ISSN
13668250
Publication Title
Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability
Publisher
Routledge
School
Kurongkurl Katitjin
Funding Information
This work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) under Grant number 1162968.
Funding received from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
1162968
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Jones, J., Brook, J., Moodie, S., Chenhall, R., Williams, R., Garlett, C., Davis, K., Gibberd, A., Harrap, B., McNamara, B., O’Donnell, M., & Eades, S. (2026). Kinship care and Aboriginal children with disabilities in out-of-home care: “My boy, I was his voice.” Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.3109/13668250.2026.2668767