A yarning circle at the parenting program's launch event.
Parenting can be a difficult task for most of us.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, these challenges can be even more pronounced due to the ongoing complexities of intergenerational trauma.
Raising children relies on strong, safe and secure bonds of attachment between caregivers and the child.
These connections can be disrupted through behaviours based in trauma, whether historical, intergenerational, or caused by current experiences.
It is in this backdrop that Healing Kids, Healing Families and Embrace researchers have begun development of a parenting program that is
specific to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“It will be trauma-informed, culturally safe, and built by the community,” said senior researcher Dr Nita Alexander.
While parenting programs have historically been adapted for use within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, this project will deliver the first program built from the ground up with the community it seeks to
support.
“In this program, we aim to view culture as a strength and an asset for child-raising,” Nita said.
“This can only be achieved through listening and learning from the community and building a program with and for them.”
The parenting program was unveiled to community members at Noonakoort Moodijabiny (or ‘Everyone Becoming Strong’) in late March.
Among those in attendance were community members, health professionals, and of course parents, who expressed eagerness to see the program under development.
Parenting practitioner Stacey Trinidad, who attended the event after meeting with Nita and Aboriginal Project Officer Bek Morrison in late 2024, said she and her colleagues were often left frustrated by the launch of pilot parenting programs that would often disappear after making minor improvements, often as a result of a lack of funding.
“There’s so much strength in culture,” Stacey said at the event.
“We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, we just need to go back to basics and to the people who have been doing this for thousands of years.”
“It needs a community approach.”
Bek Morrison, who hosted the event, reflected on the need for a community centred Aboriginal parenting program, before giving attendees a sneak peak of the project artwork, Building Stronger Foundations, by Noongar Yorga artist Jacinta Anderson. This artwork will be shared publicly later this year.
After dinner, attendees split into yarning circles to share ideas like how to make the program useful for families.
“I was proud to share our progress with the community, and also encouraged by sitting in and listening to our yarning circles,” Bek says.
We heard insights about what should be included, and yarned about how to overcome barriers to achieve our goal of decreasing the effects of intergenerational trauma to our kids and next generations.
For Nita, the program represents an opportunity to see tangible and lasting change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – one that will see ownership remain within the community.
“This has the potential to change generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ experience of raising their children,” Nita says.
In March, the Productivity Commission released findings that only 4 of 19 Closing the Gap objectives remain on track.
“Researchers have a unique opportunity to hear and take action on the voices from community,” Nita says.
“The difficulty, however, is translating the research into outcomes that government and policymakers will listen to. But with considerable
community buy-in, we’re optimistic the tide is starting to turn.”
A water ceremony at the launch event.
Senior researcher Dr Nita Alexander presenting the program.