Child, Family and Kin
Child, Family and Kin
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, maintaining connection to family and culture is integral to their identity, as well as their social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. We recognise that wherever possible children are best placed in their family home, and we work extremely hard alongside families to keep them strong, safe and together.
Our work is holistic and integrated, and draws upon the strengths of Aboriginal family and community structures and cultural systems. From early intervention to crisis support, we aim to empower families and their communities, and acknowledge the fundamental right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities to control decision making processes around the care and protection of their children
We are passionate about driving systemic reform in Child Protection across the Northern Territory, and we remain strongly committed to advocating for the needs of children, their families and communities whenever necessary, to ensure that their voices are heard and that systems genuinely respond to their needs.
Our locally-developed comprehensive Family and Kin Care Model, ‘Children Safe, Family Together’ has been formally adopted by the Northern Territory Government, who have committed to implementing it in full over the next five years.
Our Child and Family programs include:
Intensive Family and Parenting Support (IFPS) Program
The IFPS program is a family support service that can provide intensive case management and tailored support to all families in Alice Springs with children aged 0-18. We work according to the needs of each individual family, using an approach that is strengths based, child centred, and family focussed. We have a proud history of providing family support services in Alice Springs and our IFPS team has significant experience, knowledge and expertise in supporting families regardless of the type and level of support that they need. The IFPS team includes a Social Worker and a team of specialist Child and Family Practitioners.
Working alongside families we develop a case plan based on the Signs of Safety framework in a culturally safe and respectful way. This case plan focuses on strengths, concerns and goals in order to address potential barriers to change, and is regularly reviewed to ensure it remains responsive and tailored to the needs of the family. We recognise such planning and review as essential in ensuring that our work with family remains focussed and accountable. Information on program eligibility and how to make a referral can be found in the dowloadable IFPS Brochure.
Family and Kin Program
Our Family and Kin Care program, which started in 2018, was the first of its kind in the Northern Territory, and has grown from strength to strength.
Family and Kin Care is formally recognised across all Australian jurisdictions as the preferred placement option for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The right of a child who has been removed from their home to be placed with a member of their family network whenever safe to do so is enshrined in legislation as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (ATSICPP).
Safe Houses
We are currently the only Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation that is providing Out of Home Care (OOHC) residential services to children in the Northern Territory. We operate two ‘Safe Houses’ in Alice Springs that provide short to medium term care for children who are under the Care and Protection of the Minister.
These Safe Houses are more than just places to live. They provide the opportunity for restorative care by fostering a sense of safety and belonging, building a child’s confidence and self-esteem and promoting pride in their culture. When a child resides at one of our Safe Houses they will experience high quality care and nurturing relationships that focus on reducing the impact of trauma, care that restores their sense of safety and wellbeing. We recognise connection to family, language and culture as integral to a child’s identity, and have an extremely strong commitment to both maintaining and strengthening such connections wherever possible for every child in our care.