Funding for First Nations-led trial projects in Naarm to help close the gap

Dechlan Brennan Published March 7, 2025 at 7.29pm (AWST)

politics

VALS' Balit Ngulu: Strong voice for early intervention program is one of the projects funded (Image: VALS)

Indigenous-led trial projects to help strengthen families, reduce family and domestic violence, and help keep kids out of out-of-home care will take place in Naarm, the federal government has announced.

Five Aboriginal and Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) and local First Nations organisations have been selected to share $3.19 million in grant funding under the Government's Closing the Gap Outcomes and Evidence Fund.

Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, Ged Kearney, said supporting Indigenous-led and targeted projects was critical to meeting the needs of First Nations families and communities.

"Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, loving environment connected to their culture and community. By investing in First Nations led initiatives, we are taking real steps to reduce the number of First Nations children in out-of-home care and ensure families have the support they need to stay together," she said.

All sourced from the Darebin First Nations community, the five projects range from prevention and early intervention for partner violence, to education, trauma-informed healing activities, and youth justice support.

Projects

• The Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA) will deliver 'The Adolescent Intimate Partner Violence Project' which is focussed on prevention and early intervention activities for Indigenous young people aged 12-17 years who may be experiencing, or be at risk of, intimate partner violence (IPV).

• The Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) has been earmarked to deliver an early intervention project for children and families at risk of entering the child protection system. Currently, Victoria has the highest level of Indigenous children removed from their families and placed in out-of-home care.

• The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) will continue to deliver their youth justice support service for young people with criminal matters, 'Balit Ngulu: Strong voice for early intervention'. It ensures clients have access to one lawyer who can address the continuum of their legal needs and comes as VALS leads the way in supporting Indigenous people in the community as they are over-represented in the justice system.

• The Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association Ltd (VACSAL) will deliver 'Coolamon Birrang – A Family Journey'. It will address several topics, including respectful behaviour and fostering healthier family relationships.

• The Yappera Children's Service Cooperative will deliver 'Balaki Wuka Nyernila – Giving to Community. Hearing, listening, understanding, knowing, learning'. It is designed to offer a range of trauma-informed community healing activities co-designed with both children and the local Aboriginal community.

Ms Kearney said Darebin is home to many First Nations organisations doing "critical work to support families".

"These grants empower them to expand their reach and continue delivering programs designed by and for the community," she said.

"As the Member for Cooper, I've built meaningful relationships with VACCA, VACSAL, VAHS and VALS. I'm so proud of the work they do and will continue to support them and their communities as they implement this grant funding."

Under the Fund, all sites will include a comprehensive evaluation to assess project outcomes and impacts, and Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth, said supporting First Nations-led solutions is vital to successfully meeting Closing the Gap targets.

She said the Fund was both a key contributor to the Government's efforts in meeting Closing the Gap Targets 12 and 13, as well as central to improving the evidence base for the Government and Indigenous people more broadly.

"We know First Nations children are almost 12 times more likely to be in out-of-home care or connected to the child protection system. Sadly, First Nations women and children are also 33 times more likely to be hospitalised due to violence than non-Indigenous women and six times more likely to die as a result of family violence," Ms Rishworth said.

"Community led projects like these are critical in addressing violence against women and children through community responses to create real and lasting change."