Culturally Strong Childcare Programs for Indigenous Children, Families and Communities

Abstract

ACCoMMoDATInG ThE DIvErSE ChIlDCArE needs of Australia's Indigenous communities, both within mainstream and Indigenous-operated services, is a major concern for all Indigenous families and communities. Of particular concern in relation to formal child care is the need for programs to be culturally strong. Culturally strong programs incorporate the culturally based beliefs, values and practices, including child-rearing practices, of individuals, families and communities using that service. This paper, drawing upon a broad-based consultation funded by the Australian Government and conducted throughout 2005-06, addresses the key elements of what constitutes culturally strong childcare programs for Indigenous children, families and communities. In recognition of the heterogeneous nature of Indigenous Australians, the research methods included focus groups, community consultations, and interviews with key stakeholders in the childcare sector nationally in order to identify their positions. The research findings highlighted that those involved with childcare programs for Indigenous children, whether they are living in a remote community in the Northern Territory or in Redfern in Sydney, New South Wales, share a similar desire: that programs reflect the cultural knowledge and practices of their respective communities.

Developing Early Literacies in Informal Settings: The Importance of Cultural Representation in an Aboriginal Playgroup

“…Such spaces are actively constituted through the language, the practices, and the artefacts that directly relate to the participants sense of their own identity. Aligning with this perspective is the acknowledgement that the key strategies that facilitate Indigenous safe spaces, include establishing Indigenous early childhood services (Guilfoyle et al 2010), the employment of trained Indigenous staff (Whyte 2012), the inclusion of Aboriginal and TSI cultural representations, and the facilitation of connections to local communities. It has been shown in a number of studies that employing Aboriginal staff in early childhood programs significantly increases Aboriginal children's attendance and family involvement (Whyte 2012;Mann, Knight, and Thomson 2011).…”

“…Through the establishment of safe spaces, the collaborative implementation of strategies designed to privilege Indigenous knowledge, texts, and other resources enable playgroup staff, parents and carers "to transform texts and contexts to support students in drawing on those resources" (Long et al 2013, 423-24). In practice this means connecting with Indigenous cultures (Larkins 2010; Guilfoyle et al 2010); engaging with Indigenous stories, books, and cultural events (Hill, Colbung, and Glover 2011); teaching Aboriginal and TSI languages (Williams 2011); and home literacy and parent support programs such as home visiting, shared book reading programs, and integrated services (Sims 2011).…”

“…Despite continuing policy changes and reviews and a focus on formal preschool programs, the need remains for informal, culturally strong, Indigenous early childhood programs in safe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) run spaces. Programs where the culturally based beliefs, values, and practices of the families and communities using the service are valued and included and where efforts are made to reconnect children and families with their Aboriginal culture(s) have been recognised as having a key role in improving the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal children (Guilfoyle et al 2010;Larkins 2010). The term "safe spaces" refers to spaces where participants feel confident in participating in and collaborating with those practices that actually constitute the space.…”

Engaging Indigenous families in a community-based Indigenous early childhood programme in British Columbia, Canada: A cultural safety perspective

“…Indigenous primary caregivers, like all caregivers, want to give their children the best possible start in life. In settler‐colonial societies, such as in Canada, New Zealand and Australia, achieving this goal is increasingly supported by Indigenous early childhood programmes that are designed and delivered specifically for Indigenous communities and families (Greenwood & de Leeuw, ; Guilfoyle, Sims, Saggers, & Hutchins, ). Internationally, quality Indigenous early childhood programmes are increasingly viewed as critical sites for individual and collective healing, cultural and language revitalisation, and community rebuilding (Greenwood & Jones, ; Guilfoyle et al., ).…”

“…In settler‐colonial societies, such as in Canada, New Zealand and Australia, achieving this goal is increasingly supported by Indigenous early childhood programmes that are designed and delivered specifically for Indigenous communities and families (Greenwood & de Leeuw, ; Guilfoyle, Sims, Saggers, & Hutchins, ). Internationally, quality Indigenous early childhood programmes are increasingly viewed as critical sites for individual and collective healing, cultural and language revitalisation, and community rebuilding (Greenwood & Jones, ; Guilfoyle et al., ). However, in many settler‐colonial societies, there is a context of mistrust that has been shaped by Indigenous families' experiences of government‐sanctioned over‐surveillance and intervention, and Indigenous women's experiences of systemic racism and discrimination, such that many Indigenous caregivers are hesitant about engaging in early childhood programmes (Grace & Trudgett, , Health Council of Canada, ; Kaomea, ).…”