Cooperative Research Centres

Parenting Support Interventions for Indigenous Families: Let’s Start Extension

CRCAH Project No: # SE 213

Administering Organisation:
Charles Darwin University

Project Leader:
Gary Robinson

Contact Details:
Dr Gary Robinson
Charles Darwin University
School for Social and Policy Research
Institute of Advanced Studies,
Charles Darwin University
Darwin  NT 0909
Tel: 8946 6893
Email:gary.robinson@cdu.edu.au

Team Members:

  • Institute of Child Health Research, UWA
  • NT Department of Health and Families
  • NT Department of Employment, Education & Training  

Program Manager:
Vanessa Harris,
Social and Emotional Wellbeing program

Funding Sources

  • CRC for Aboriginal Health
  • Charles Darwin University
  • Depart of Family, Housing. Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FAHCSIA)
  • NT Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET)

In Kind Contributors

  • Charles Darwin University
  • Institute of Child Health and Community Services
  • NT Department of Employment, Education and Training

Project Summary:

The Let’s Start project developed from an earlier project partly funded by the CRC for Aboriginal and Tropical Health, called the Tiwi Life Promotion Evaluation Project. This was the first attempt to adapt and implement a resilience-promoting intervention on the Tiwi Islands.  The CRC for Aboriginal Health is now contributing substantial funding to an extension of the Commonwealth-funded project: Let’s Start: Exploring Together for indigenous Preschool Children (referred to here as Let’s Start).

 

The preschool version of this project has been redeveloped for Indigenous preschool and early primary school-aged children and their parents. The aim is to consolidate the research framework; extend the engagement of the Let’s Start project with the Indigenous community in Darwin and Darwin rural; to extend the engagement of the project with the health and community services sector, including child welfare; to develop materials and resources for Early Intervention in the Indigenous community, using learnings arising out of Let’s Start.

 

The program promotes positive parent–child interaction, improves children’s social and emotional competencies and helps build their capacity to negotiate the transition to school. The program is based on a manual that sets out structured activities for children and parents over 8–10 weeks of a school term, and is delivered by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous group leaders. About 40 schools in the Darwin, Darwin rural regions, at Jabiru and on the Tiwi Islands are now taking part in the program.

Summary of potential outcomes

Measured program outcomes are:

  • Improved parenting, reductions in parental anxiety
  • Improved parent-child interaction
  • Improved children’s social skills
  • Reduction in identified problem behaviours as reported by teachers and parents
  • Improved engagement of fathers/male carers


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Related links

http://www.cdu.edu.au/sspr/letsstart.htm


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[Laste updated 4.4.08]

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