Children, family and home
Aboriginal children remain over-represented in care at more than 20 times the rate of non-Aboriginal children in 2017-18. However, community-led approaches are connecting more children to culture and kin.
- The number of Aboriginal children in care who are placed with relatives, kin and/or Aboriginal carers has steadily increased, to almost three quarters.
- The number of Aboriginal children and young people on contractible orders managed by Aboriginal Organisations has also increased significantly from 8.75% in 2015-16 to approximately 33% in 2018-19.
Learning and skills
Victorian Aboriginal children are achieving and excelling throughout their schooling years - from the critical early schooling years right through to secondary school and beyond.
- Aboriginal children are enrolled in kindergarten in the year before school at a high rate and on par with their non-Aboriginal peers.
- The number of Aboriginal students completing VCE, VCAL or VET has more than doubled between 2011 and 2018.
Opportunity and prosperity
The Aboriginal business sector continues to thrive, contributing to growth in economic prosperity for Aboriginal Victorians.
- More Aboriginal people are starting businesses than ever before, with Aboriginal business owner management increasing by over 80% between 2006 and 2016.
From 2006 to 2016, Aboriginal Victorians’ median annual household income increased by more than $20,000. This represents a significant decrease in the income gap between Aboriginal Victorians and non-Aboriginal Victorians.
Health and wellbeing
The number of Aboriginal Victorians accessing preventative healthcare has increased for all age groups over the last decade.
- Since 2007, the proportion of Aboriginal Victorians aged 55 and over receiving annual health assessments has more than tripled, from 7.5% to 25.7%.
- The proportion of Aboriginal children aged 0-14 receiving health checks has increased tenfold, from 1.5% to 16.9% in 2017.
Justice and safety
The number of Aboriginal young people processed by police has decreased by 31.5% from 2008 to 2018. However, Aboriginal young people continue to be over represented in detention with increasing rates of young people being held in remand.
The over-representation of Aboriginal adults in the justice system has continued to rise, particularly for Aboriginal women who represent one of the fastest growing prison cohorts in Victoria.
Culture and Country
Aboriginal language programs are being adopted into schools and kindergartens across the state at an increasing rate. This is supported by the development of accredited training in learning and teaching endangered Aboriginal languages.
Traditional Owner groups are being increasingly supported in their work caring for Country, instilling recognition and respect for Aboriginal land, water and cultural rights and working to embed Aboriginal knowledge in the everyday management Country.
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