The removal of children from Indigenous communities is skyrocketing and has become a "national disaster", according to a Australia's first and only Aboriginal children's commissioner.

Key points: Andrew Jackomos calls for independent commissioners for Aboriginal children

Andrew Jackomos calls for independent commissioners for Aboriginal children He says pilot program in Victoria could see more children in foster care returned to relatives

He says pilot program in Victoria could see more children in foster care returned to relatives An estimated 17,664 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were in out-of-home care in 2017, compared with 9,070 a decade ago

Andrew Jackomos, who has finished his post in Victoria after five years, said his work had revealed shocking and tragic stories where children in state care had been denied contact with relatives and their culture.

"I think it's a national disaster around the nation — and I think every state is a national disaster — if you look at the level of over-representation of our children in out-of-home care," he said.

Mr Jackomos has urged the Turnbull Government to act.

"What we need is independent commissioners for Aboriginal children who have powers to undertake inquiries," he said.

"There should be one in every jurisdiction, including at a national level, which there is not."

The number of Indigenous children removed from their families has risen rapidly since former prime minister Kevin Rudd's national apology to the Stolen Generations in 2008.

An estimated 17,664 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were living in out-of-home care in 2017, compared with 9,070 a decade ago.

Mr Jackomos said he thought a lack of oversight on government agencies had led to this gross over-representation.

Andrew Jackomos said he thought targets to decrease the numbers of Indigenous children going into care were not practical. ( ABC News: Bridget Brennan )

"Yes, people took their eyes off it. Government, and I think some parts of the community, should have done more," Mr Jackomos said.

"We had many of the right programs and policies in place, but there was a lack of governance."

Mr Jackomos, a Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara man, also said he was disappointed by the Prime Minister's rejection of the Uluru Statement last year.

The statement called for a constitutionally enshrined "voice to parliament", which could provide advice on issues and legislation affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including on child-protection concerns.

"I think it's very sad. This was a well-thought-out plan from our leaders from across the nation to take it further, and the sad thing is the current Commonwealth Government is failing to act — for the reasons best known to themselves."

Indigenous kids placed with kin has decreased: report

There's hope that a pilot program in Victoria will see more children in foster care returned to their relatives. ( ABC News: Bridget Brennan )

The number of Aboriginal children placed with relatives and kin, or with Indigenous foster carers, has decreased in the past decade, according to the Productivity Commission.

In Victoria, there is some hope that an Australian-first pilot, advocated by Mr Jackomos, will see more children in foster care returned to their relatives.

The Aboriginal Children in Aboriginal Care program has transferred the case planning and management of dozens of children to a select few Aboriginal organisations.

"Our children will go home quicker, either to immediate family or kin, when they're in our care," Mr Jackomos said.

"I'm proud that some kids are going home earlier, I'd love to see all kids [in out-of-home care] go home earlier.

"I'm glad now that we do have a commitment to do it right, but we have a long way to go."

"We know our community and what's going to work," said Raylene Harradine. ( ABC News: Bridget Brennan )

On Dja Dja Warrung country, in central Victoria, the Bendigo and District Aboriginal Co-operative is trialling the program with about a dozen families, chief executive Raylene Harradine said.

"We've had successes in the majority of cases where children have been able to stay with their parents or guardians," she said.

"It's allowed us to have decision making around our children and our families that we're working with. We know our community and what's going to work."

Mr Jackomos said he thought targets to decrease the numbers of Indigenous children going into care were not practical, and could result in some children staying in unsafe homes.

The deaths of Aboriginal babies he had investigated, and the drug overdoses of children and teenagers in the system, were the "things that break your heart," he said.

"The low point is doing child-death inquiries of young babies," he said.

"The majority of our children live in loving homes where they're nurtured, they have to go to school, they have inspirations and aspirations — this should be the goal for all of our children."