The peak body for community-controlled Indigenous health organisations in Victoria has celebrated one year of driving change and strengthening futures.
The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation's (VACCHO) Centre of Excellence for Aboriginal Families Wellbeing was launched in December last year, championing initiatives aimed at seeing Indigenous children in Victoria remain physically, emotionally, spiritually and culturally strong, as well as living in a safe environment.
It comes as latest data from Victoria shows more than one in ten Indigenous children are removed from their home and placed in out-of-home care (OOHC)—the highest in the country.
The Centre's vision is about ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families are able to enjoy the same opportunities as all other Australian families whilst simultaneously staying connected to culture and Community.
"The last year has been busy, but there is still a long way to go to change the thinking and narrative to include families," director, Sheree Lowe, said.
"It's about understanding Aboriginal and cultural parenting models, including the importance of Culture as a protective factor."
This year, the Centre worked with other Indigenous-led initiatives designed to improve the outcomes and lives of Aboriginal families in Victoria.
This included partnering with VACCHO's Balit Durn Durn Centre to finalise the The Nest,—a direct recommendation from the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System.
The framework for The Nest is designed to guide health services to deliver high quality and consistent care for Indigenous children and families who require intensive social and emotional support.
Furthermore, the Centre of Excellence for Aboriginal Families Wellbeing advised and offered perspective to Ngaweeyan Maar-oo—the shared decision-making partner with the state Government and the Coalition of Peaks on Closing the Gap implementation in Victoria.
It co-sponsored the Ngaweeyan Maar-oo Summit on Dja Dja Wurrung Country in June, where VACCHO chief executive Jill Gallagher called for systems created to "separate, displace, and break" Aboriginal families to be reversed, and highlighted the importance of cultural safety and Indigenous-led responses to supporting First Nations families.
Going into its second year, the Centre said their commitment to Aboriginal children and families remained unwavering, with a significant focus on cultural pride, connection to family, and continuing to create a future where all children and families can thrive.
"We love celebrating the strength and diversity of our families and will continue this important work in the year ahead," Ms Lowe said.
