Gugan Gulwan Youth Aboriginal Corporation acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we walk, work, live and learn. We honour Elders past and present and extend our respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who now call this region home. We recognise the strength, wisdom and care they bring to community, and the vital role they play in supporting our young people and families to grow strong, connected and thriving together.

FAMILY MATTERS STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT

Gugan Gulwan is committed to implementing, promoting, and working in a manner that upholds the Family Matters Statement of commitment.

Family Matters is Australia’s national campaign to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people grow up safe and cared for in family, community and culture. Family Matters aims to eliminate the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care by 2040.

Purpose

This statement reflects our intent to work collaboratively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their organisations to achieve the goal of the Family Matters campaign. This commitment requires all signatories to work in accordance with key principles, and to implement corresponding actions.
background
Family Matter Report 2025

Family Matters is Australia’s only annual report led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that monitors government removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from families and examines what governments are doing to turn the tide on over-representation.
Family Matters 2025 is the tenth edition of the report. This year’s message is clear: invest in families, not crisis. The 2025 edition of the report warns that Australia’s child protection systems continue to prioritise late, punitive interventions rather than the early supports that families need to stay strong and together and that, despite years of commitments to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care, progress has stalled.
For more than a decade, Family Matters has amplified calls from communities for accountability and contributed to real change, increased transparency about children and families’ experiences in the child protection system and helped drive national reform, including playing a key role in the establishment of the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People.
Family Matters 2025 shows what works. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled early intervention, prevention and family support programs that keep children safe and connected to kin, community, Country and culture. Case studies throughout the report demonstrate how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led services are strengthening families, keeping children connected to culture and improving lifelong health, learning and wellbeing. However, these proven solutions remain critically underfunded while crisis-driven systems continue to receive the bulk of funding.