PRESS RELEASE: CREATE Foundation condemns recommendation to progress Every Child Matters Bill 2026
CREATE Foundation condemns the NT Legislative Scrutiny Committee’s recommendation to progress the Care and Protection of Children Legislation Amendment (Every Child Matters) Bill 2026.
Children and young people told decision-makers what they needed just weeks before this Bill was introduced. Those same young people were never asked about the legislation that will shape Territory children’s futures.
In April 2026, before the Bill was introduced, 15 children and young people with lived experience of out-of-home care participated in CREATE Foundation’s annual NT Roundtable, courageously sharing their experiences and recommendations directly with senior executives from the Department of Children and Families.
None of these young people were consulted on the legislation.
CREATE Foundation was also not invited to provide evidence at the NT Legislative Scrutiny Committee’s hearing. However, the young people’s voices from our Roundtable were shared by Northern Territory Children’s Commissioner, Shahleena Musk, who gave evidence to the Committee.
At CREATE’s Roundtable, young people spoke about not knowing who they are, not knowing their language, and feeling disconnected from their identity and culture. They spoke about the importance of learning from Elders, maintaining family and community connections, and being supported to understand who they are and where they come from.
They emphasised that culture is not an optional extra; it is fundamental to wellbeing, identity and healing:
“You are taken away from your Country and your family, and you don’t have access for years. And then family says you’ve just got to come back and start speaking the language, but how am I supposed to come back when I’m in the system? That broke me.”
“I came into care when I was 2 and no one made sure that I was connected to my family and my Country.”
“I was very disconnected from my culture growing up. I never had guidance towards my culture. When I finally got to do cultural things, it felt strange at first, but it gave me a sense of belonging I’d never felt before.”
“When I was in care and I was able to see my family, they would take me out to go fishing, teach me about bush tucker, and share cultural things with me. That made me feel more connected. I was kind of lost before that.”
Young people described leaving out-of-home care feeling like strangers in their own families — unable to speak their language, unsure of where they belonged, and grieving connections they were never given the opportunity to build. They called for stronger efforts to preserve and strengthen cultural ties from the earliest stages of care involvement.
Despite these clear messages from young people, the Bill recommended to progress weakens safeguards designed to keep Aboriginal children connected to kin, culture and Country.
CREATE Foundation CEO Imogen Edeson said yesterday’s recommendation flies in the face of evidence and recommendations provided by experts and advocates.
“Back in May, CREATE called on the Government to work in genuine partnership with the Northern Territory Children’s Commissioner, the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Aboriginal leaders and lived experience experts when making decisions that impact Territory kids and families.
The resignation of the Northern Territory Children’s Commissioner, after describing being ‘sidelined’, represents a profound failure of this process. It is deeply concerning that one of the strongest advocates for children’s rights in the Territory felt their voice was not being heard.
Children and young people are experts on their own lives. We know what keeps them safe — stable family relationships, connection to culture, kin and community, and early support for families before they reach crisis. That’s what children and young people have told us, and what decades of evidence show.”
CREATE remains committed to working constructively with the Northern Territory Government on reforms that genuinely improve the safety, wellbeing and long-term outcomes of children and young people in care.
Read CREATE’s submission to the Legislative Scrutiny Committee on the Care and Protection of Children Legislation Amendment (Every Child Matters) Bill 2026: https://create.org.au/media/wgsf0i1g/create-foundation-submission-on-the-care-and-protection-of-children-legislation-amendment-may-2026-1.pdf
