New Indigenous Parenting Support Services across Australia
An additional 24 Indigenous Parenting Support Services across Australia will help more than 700 Indigenous families.
The Australian Government is providing up to $7 million over two years to establish and run the services in Remote Service Delivery Strategy sites in the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.
All children deserve to have a safe and happy childhood and these services will help parents provide their children with the best upbringing possible.
These new services will help Indigenous families with children aged up to 12 years.
Parents will have access to a range of services aimed at strengthening parenting skills such as training in nutrition, hygiene, children’s health and financial management.
They will also benefit from regular home visits from case workers who can support parents with children with behaviour management issues.
The new sites are among 50 across Australia funded under the $16.6 million Indigenous Parenting Support Services, a four year program to increase the number of families using parent-child services.
Indigenous Parenting Support Services aim to help parents to overcome barriers to good family relationships and support through transitions to child care, pre-school and primary school. They pro-actively address social, cultural, personal, historical, and financial and health factors that can present barriers to effective parenting.
The services will be operated by non-profit organisations and will include promoting connections between parents and children with case workers.
Parents accessing existing sites in NSW and ACT have said that through sharing ideas and learning about raising children, their own children’s emotional, social and physical abilities have greatly improved.
These sites were chosen in partnership with states and territories under the Remote Service Delivery National Partnership agreed through the Council of Australian Governments.
Under the Cape York Welfare Reform trials, parenting support services are currently being provided and today’s announcement will ensure similar support is provided to families in the rest of the Remote Service Delivery priority locations.
Indigenous Parenting Support Services Sites
| State/Territory | Location |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | Walgett and Wilcannia |
| Northern Territory | Angurugu, Gapuwiyak, Galiwin’ku, Gunbalanya, Lajamanu, Milingimbi, Maningrida, Nguiu, Ntaria/Hermannsburg, Numbulwar, Ngukkur,Yirrkala, Yuendumu, Umbakumba and Wadeye |
| Queensland | Doomadgee, Mornington Island* |
| South Australia | Amata and Mimili |
| Western Australia | Halls Creek, Dampier Peninsula and Fitzroy Crossing |
* Parenting support services are currently being provided under the Cape York Welfare Reform Trials which are jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments.