New services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families

The second stage of the Palaszczuk Government’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Services will roll out this month in Ipswich, Beaudesert, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Palm Island.

The services will provide culturally-responsive, community-led support to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families safely care for their children at home.

Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman today announced the next six locations for the Wellbeing services, following on from the four that were announced in November at South Burnett, Moreton Bay, Mackay and Roma.

“This second round investment of more than $6m every year over five years will provide more than 60,000 hours of support to more than 1300 families,” she said.

“It is part of a total package of $150 million across the state for new community-run services to better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander families and communities.

“If we are serious about reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families in the child protection system, we know we can only achieve this in partnership with Indigenous communities.”

The successful providers of these services are:

• Ipswich – Kummara Association
• Beaudesert – Munanjali Housing and Development Company
• Gold Coast – Kalwun Development Corporation
• Sunshine Coast – REFOCUS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation
• Townsville – Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Health Services, and
• Palm Island - Palm Island Community Company.

Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Mark Furner said it was a proactive way for the Palaszczuk Government to support Indigenous families and communities.

“There was a need to work earlier and more productively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to deliver better outcomes,” Mr Furner said.

“We need to re-think how we work with families and communities to ensure children are safe at home.

We recognise that community-led services that focus on cultural knowledge and understanding are central to improving children’s safety, wellbeing, belonging, identity and participation in local communities.”

Ms Fentiman said the six services would be followed by other wellbeing services across the state in 2017.

"An open tender process is currently underway to source service providers in Cairns, Gympie Mount Isa, Browns Plains, Logan Beenleigh/Bayside, Toowoomba and Ipswich, including Lockyer Valley and Somerset,” she said.

“Services will also be established next year in Central Queensland and Cape York and Torres Strait.

“By next year, we are aiming to have these services offering more than 6000 families a coordinated approach to support to help them address multiple needs and build family and community capacity.

“The availability of culturally safe services in the community for people impacted by unfair past government practices is an essential step in healing the trauma of the past and, moving forward, to keep families together and reunify children from out-of-home care.”

The Palaszczuk Government has worked in partnership with key stakeholders, including the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak (QATSICPP), to capture the voices of community, children, families and Indigenous service providers to design the new integrated wellbeing service.

“We will continue to work with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sector and community to get vulnerable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families the kind of culturally-appropriate support they need,” Ms Fentiman said.

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