A police vehicle with two eight-year-olds in the back is emblematic of a typical night for officers in Kununurra in northern Western Australia.

A group of young girls were out on the streets late at night.

The eight-year-olds told police they had nowhere safe to go.

When the ABC joins officers on a late-night patrol they say the girls have to be taken back to the station because, after trying a few addresses, they cannot find a responsible adult to take them in.

Employment and a purpose

Jaru-Kija woman Temali Howard spent nearly two decades working in youth justice, but now owns a cafe run as a social enterprise, providing training and employment.

"Locking kids up is not the solution," she said.

"It comes back to working with families. We are working with intergenerational trauma —

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