SNAICC Newsletter

Table 1 - Location of proposed child and family centres by state and territory

SNAICC supports culturally appropriate services that can strengthen families, support them to look after their children, and contribute to the prevention of child abuse and neglect and the removal of children.

Meeting the early childhood development needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is also a strong part of SNAICC’s advocacy, research and resource development work.

SNAICC therefore welcomes the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Partnership Agreement regarding Indigenous Early Childhood Development which provides for the establishment of at least 35 Indigenous children and family centres nationally by 2014 with funding of $292M. Centres will be split between states and territories as shown above.

The Agreement came into being 1 January 2009. Funding is over six years 2008/09 – 2013/14 for both capital works and operational funding.

The Commonwealth Government will allocate the money to state and territory governments who will manage all aspects of its allocation, including the planning and consultation process, and report back to a COAG steering committee.

The funding can be used for existing services as well as to establish new services. The outcomes sought by the agreement are an:

• Increased proportion of Indigenous children in quality early childhood education and development and child care services;
• Increased proportion of Indigenous people using parent and family support services.

SNAICC’s view is that good consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities about where the centres should be, what services they should provide and who they should be managed by will determine whether these outcomes will be achieved.

The Partnership Agreement says consultations with Indigenous communities, non-government service agencies and peak bodies will be an important part of the Agreement’s delivery. The consultations are the responsibility of state and territory governments and are meant to be initiated at the early planning stage and continue for the whole six years.

SNAICC’s view is that these consultations must start at the very early planning phase and cover, for example how a needs assessment will be made for Indigenous early childhood and family support services.

The consultations must also focus on the management of the new centres. Good outcomes in terms of participation of children and families will only be achieved if these centres are developed and managed by local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled agencies. SNAICC supports partnership approaches to develop and run services where this is the preferred community option.

All of the holistic Aboriginal children’s centres currently providing successful culturally appropriate programs and services to Aboriginal children and families, such as the MACS centres, are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled.

There is no evidence that non– Indigenous auspiced centre based services can adequately meet the needs of children and families and work well within the communities. Early planning for these 35 (or more) new centres must therefore include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander management as well as planning to meet need.

SNAICC has not yet been advised who state and territory contact people are for those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations who want to ? nd out more about the centres and how to get involved in the planning, or ? nd out how to submit interest in being funded.

Deidre McNally is the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations contact of? cer in Canberra. Contact: deidre.mcnally@DEEWR.gov.au Ph: 02 6240 5365 Fax: 02 6123 5585 SNAICC will keep an information update on our website as we learn more about the centre planning processes.

If you have any questions or any information about consultations or site selections in your state or territory please also contact SNAICC. We will share information with others through the SNAICC website.

SNAICC contact: julie@snaicc.asn.au