Moreton Bay & Townsville first kids off the rank for 1000 days of support

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from Moreton Bay and Townsville will be the first kids in Queensland to benefit from a vital new program aimed at giving them a better start to life.

The First 1000 Days Australia initiative is a partnership between the Palaszczuk Government and the University of Melbourne that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, including during pregnancy.

Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman said the growth and development during the very early years of a child’s life was critical to life outcomes.

“Providing extra support for the child’s first 1000 days – which is from pre-conception until a child’s second birthday, can greatly improve life outcomes for children,” she said.

“I am very excited by the potential of this program which will be trialled at Moreton Bay from early next year and Townsville from late next year before spreading to other locations across the state.”

A $1.5 million government investment over three years, Ms Fentiman said the Queensland model would expand upon the health and nutrition foundation seen in other countries, to take a broader approach to addressing Indigenous disadvantage.

“This means providing comprehensive and coordinated services that address family violence, unemployment, substance misuse, mental illness and disability,” she said.

Natalie Lewis, CEO of the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander Child Protection Peak said the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Queensland should be shaped by their aspirations and unquestionable potential rather than crippling disparity and low expectations.

“I am pleased to see the Queensland Government is committed to the First 1000 days Australia movement to deliver new and coordinated ways to ensure children get the best opportunity to develop well and reach their full potential,” she said.

Matthew Cooke, the CEO of the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council, said that Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Services throughout Queensland were committed to improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“Integrating human and social services within the primary health care system is critical in achieving optimal health and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people,” he said.

“Collectively we have a responsibility to ensure that children have opportunities to grow and thrive in all areas of their life, not just in their physical health but in their social, emotional, cultural and spiritual health, so I welcome this commitment by the Queensland Government to the First 1000 days program.”

Professor Kerry Arabena of The University of Melbourne said a child’s first 1000 days was a period of enormous potential, but also of vulnerability, especially in disadvantaged families.

“A radical change is required in how we think about and enhance the early outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia,” she said.

“Too many children and young people do not have the start in life they need.

“Not intervening will affect not only this generation of children, but also the next. Those who suffer adverse childhood events achieve less educationally, earn less and have worse health outcomes – all of which makes it more likely that the cycle of harm is perpetuated in the following generation.”

Treasurer Curtis Pitt said First 1000 Days was on top of the $150 million over five years the Palaszczuk Government announced in May for community-run services to better support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities.

“We need to radically re-think how we work with families and communities so children can be safe at home which means we will work with them on a bigger, bolder, community-led approach to dealing with complex Indigenous disadvantage,” Mr Pitt said.

“That’s why we‘ve prioritised funding for these services because we know that we need to do more to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities.”

Ms Fentiman said there was a significant disparity in health and social outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

“We are committed to continuing to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to address the significant disadvantage they face, which includes the disproportionate representation of Indigenous children and families in the child protection system,” she said.

“Earlier this year, Queensland was the first state to commit to the Family Matters’ vision with the goal of eliminating the disproportionate representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care.

“To help achieve this we are designing a Queensland Action Plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families to reduce over-representation in the child protection system and close the gap on life outcomes.”

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