A new Indigenous-led program providing culturally safe, long-term support for Aboriginal mothers and children in the Bunbury region has been launched by Western Australia's Southern Aboriginal Corporation (SAC) in partnership with Curtin University.
Co-designed with SAC, the Solid Families Program uses culturally grounded, strengths-based approaches to promote healthy beginnings for Aboriginal women and their young families.
Solid Families will provide the foundation for addressing complex challenges while delivering immediate, practical benefits for young Aboriginal mothers and their children.
It aims to empower Aboriginal women to have healthy pregnancies, and access practical supports, health education and service connections in early parenthood.
Funded by a Medical Research Futures Fund grant and Curtin, the program was launched at an event attended by local Elders, community stakeholders and WA Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Don Punch, in Bunbury last week.
Aboriginal women 'continue to face barriers' to engaging with mainstream services
Menang Noongar woman and Solid Families program lead Associate Professor Robyn Williams, from Curtin Medical School, said the program will address several Closing the Gap targets in providing culturally safe long-term, child and maternal health outreach services in Bunbury.
"Aboriginal women continue to face barriers to engaging with mainstream health, social and antenatal care services, while the Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations are often under-resourced and underfunded," Associate Professor Williams said.
"Notably, the lack of culturally safe appropriate evidence-based programs has contributed to the rising over-representation of Aboriginal children and young people in child protection and justice systems.
"Solid Families will promote healthy pregnancies, while supporting mothers through intensive case management informed by a cultural and trauma informed framework."
Associate Professor Williams and a multidisciplinary research team — including Professor Sandra Eades, Professor Dorothy Badry (Canada), Professor Anne-Marie Eades, Associate Professor Raewyn Mutch, Professor Francine Eades and SAC Chief Executive Officer Asha Bhat — will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the Solid Families program to identify key learnings and examine the potential for expansion.
SAC's Asha Bhat and Solid Families Coordinator, Patricia Hayward welcomed the launch of the program, saying they hoped the success of Solid Families would support its expansion into other Western Australian regions and eventually across Australia.
Solid Families 'an example of what can be achieved when Aboriginal communities have a meaningful role in shaping research priorities'
Curtin Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous, Professor Jonathan Bullen, said the program underscored the importance of strong relationships, genuine partnership and Aboriginal agency in delivering meaningful outcomes for Aboriginal communities.
"Solid Families is an example of what can be achieved when Aboriginal communities have a meaningful role in shaping research priorities and how research is undertaken," Professor Bullen said.
"Strong relationships create the conditions for research that is relevant, trusted and has the potential to deliver meaningful, lasting health outcomes for Aboriginal mothers and children".
Professor Yvonne Anderson, Dean and Head of Curtin Medical School, said the School was committed to delivering equitable, evidence-based and culturally informed care that improved the health and wellbeing of mothers and children.
"Giving babies the best possible start in life can create lasting benefits for families across generations," Professor Anderson said.
