THE ACT government is underspending on children in crisis, according to a new report.

Data from the Productivity Commission’s annual report on government services, revealed that ACT government spending per child on protective intervention services, care services, and family support services is $880, the lowest spend per child in the country and well below the national average of $1,327.

The report, released earlier this week, also found that children in the ACT are 13 times more likely to be in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children.

Dr Emma Campbell, CEO of the ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) said the ACT continues to “underperform” and “underspend” compared with other jurisdictions.

“It is Indigenous kids that suffer as a consequence,” Dr Campbell said.

“We urgently need to implement a rigorous and independent external review mechanism for child protection decisions which includes Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community members, and increase funding for a truly protective and restorative child protection system.”

Indigenous children aged between ten and 13 are almost 20 times more likely to be in detention in the ACT than non-Indigenous children, the report showed, and more then 30 per cent of Indigenous children in out-of-home care in the ACT are still being placed with non-Indigenous carers who are not relatives.

ACTCOSS is calling on the ACT government to increase investment for Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.

“We need to ensure we have sufficient funding for community controlled organisations such as Gugan Gulwan and Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services,” Gulunga program manager Rachelle Kelly-Church said.

“Aboriginal communities must be supported to care for their kids in culturally safe and appropriate ways, and to keep children with families wherever possible, instead of in out-of-home care or youth detention.

“Investment in early supports would also keep kids out of prison.”