Measure 4: Supporting Families
4.1 Children’s services and family support (crèches, playgroups and early childhood services)
Currently none of these services are available in this community. However I am told that we are now having two services established by two different organizations that do not appear to collaborate. It is difficult to clarify exactly what the services are and apparently one is to be established in a class room of the local primary school and run by community women. The principle teacher says this will create more work for him with assorted age children wandering around the school and ensuring the school and school resources are kept secure. The other service is going into the renovated woman’s centre.
There is a great need for a pre-school centre in the community. Currently there is no service for children until they are five. At five they are expected to commence primary school education which is offered under Department of Education guidelines. Children are expected to confirm to a system in a language they have had minimal exposure to and understand the norms and expectations of another culture. Pre-schools as such are a non-Indigenous concept. Therefore it is unreasonable to expect community members with minimal education themselves to be able to run a pre-school to a standard mainstream Australia would expect. It is also unreasonable to commence quality pre-schools in make shift buildings. Mainstream Australia demands a certain standard of quality for its children. Indigenous children in remote communities should be entitled to those same standards. A pre-school run as pre-schools in mainstream Australia are run, in similar quality premises, can provide Indigenous children with exposure to another culture. It is not expected that children should have to attend pre-school 40 hours a week. Many children in mainstream Australia attend part time pre-school. Exposure to quality main stream pre-school for a few hours a week would enable children to have a much better grounding in mainstream educational expectations before they attend primary school. Then children could be with their own culture in the times they are not at pre-school, to be looked after and taught in Indigenous way. Teaching respect for each others culture is true cultural safety. Having a pre-school equivalent to mainstream pre-schools would provide employment opportunities for community members when they understand what is expected of them and attain the required skills. Unfortunately from what appears to be occurring to date is that community people will once again be placed in a position they have neither the skills or expertise for. When the project fails to deliver those people will be held accountable and suffer further damage to their self esteem and self worth. It is also as damaging to shore up projects that people have been placed in beyond their capabilities and reduce standards to meet outcomes, as then people do not have a understanding and knowledge of appropriate standards and do not understand why they are unsuitable for a similar job in another setting.
4.2 Children-at-Risk workers for NT Child Protection Services
These do not appear to have eventuated, children are still reported multiple times to Family & Children’s Services by different people and due to lack of staffing, rapid turn over of staff and possibly logistics, the reporter does not hear back, so is unaware if cases are being followed up or not.
4.3 Safe place for families escaping family violence
Currently managed in the community by Indigenous community members. No known changes from NTER.
4.4 Youth Alcohol Diversionary Services
Up until June 2008 the community had accessed funding to employ a Juvenile Diversional Officer as well as receiving youth services from Mission Australia. These services do not appear to be impacted by the NTER. Prior to the fragmentation of services with the advent of Shires in the NT, both these services maintained dialogue and collaborations with the council and council staff such as CEO. The NTER reduced the time the council and council staff had to maintain these links and thus placed extra pressure on staff. The NTER reduced this time as council and staff was tied up more with visitors on behalf of the NTER who also expected dialogue and collaboration.