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Background on SNAICC

The Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) is the national non government peak body in Australia representing the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.

SNAICC was formally established in 1981 after the creation of such a body was proposed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at the 'First Aboriginal Child Survival Seminar' held in Melbourne in 1979. The organisation elected its first national executive in 1982 and has received Federal Government funding support from 1983.

SNAICC operates from a membership base of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-based child care agencies, Multi-functional Aboriginal Children's Services, family support services, foster care agencies, link up and family reunification services, family group homes, community groups and voluntary associations, long day care child care services, pre schools, early childhood education services and services for young people at risk.

In addition to these members SNAICC has a network and subscriber list of over 800 community groups, mostly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, but also significant numbers of non Indigenous community based services and individuals with an interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and children.

National Executive

SNAICC is governed by a National Executive of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people drawn from our members and operates from an office located in Melbourne with 13 staff. You can find out more about our National Executive here.

Milestones and Achievements

Some key milestones in SNAICC's commitment to serving the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families have included:

• Bringing to national prominence the story of the 'Stolen Generations' when in 1991 SNAICC was the first national Indigenous organisation to call for a national inquiry into the 'Stolen Generations';

• Production of Through Black Eyes - Family Violence Resource Handbook in 1991 and 1992;

• Development of National Aboriginal and Islander Children's Day, NAICD, (August 4th each year), as a major annual event celebrated by communities throughout Australia;

• Representing the rights and needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1998 and 2000;

• Research and production of the 'Proposed Plan of Action for Child Abuse and Neglect in Aboriginal Communities' in 1996;

• Convening the second National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Survival conference in June 1997;

• Continuing membership of the Australian Council for Children and Parenting following our participation in the National Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse;

• Membership of the Federal Ministerial Council for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Family Violence Taskforce;

• Compilation of a national report on the operation of the 37 Commonwealth funded Multifunctional Aboriginal Children's Services, MACS, for the Department of Family and Community Services;

• Convening 'Our Future Generations: National Indigenous Child Welfare and Development Seminar' in 2003;

• Establishing the SNAICC Resource Service to develop and share resources to support services working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, with $4 million funding from the Australian Government Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

• Publication in 2001 of Through Young Black Eyes, a national resource booklet and community elders guide responding to issues of family violence and child abuse in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. And updated edition of Through Young Black Eyes was published in 2005.

SNAICC'S Funding

Information on SNAICC's funding is available here.