| 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
Download a copy of the:
Related links
http://www.cdu.edu.au/sspr/letsstart.htm
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[Laste updated 4.4.08]