Indigenous Parenting Support Services (IPSS) is one of the Government's election commitments to implement 50 new sites over four years. This $16.6 million initiative will strengthen parenting skills and support the development, learning and well being of Indigenous children. They will be integrated into existing platforms such as child care centres, schools, Aboriginal health centres and other related services to provide Indigenous families with access to enhanced parenting support. The election commitment was announced as part of the New Directions - An Equal Start in Life for Indigenous Children.
IPSS will increase the number of Indigenous families and children that have access to parent-child services and aims to target support to families with children aged up to twelve years of age with a particular focus on families with children aged 0-2 years. Services will be offered to Indigenous families in safe and informal settings. They will provide referrals to other services as required. IPSS will help Indigenous parents overcome barriers to good family relationships and support them through their children's transitions to child care, pre-school and primary school.
The Department has identified a number of key underpinning principles for the delivery of Indigenous Parenting Support Services:
- should take a pro-active approach to supporting families to address underlying issues - such as social, cultural, personal, historical, financial and health factors - that can present barriers to effective parenting
- delivery model should be sufficiently broad and flexible to allow sites to address issues of particular concern in a way that they believe is most appropriate
- should reflect a broad concept of parenting/caring that includes extended families and kinship ties
Directory of service providers
Australian Capital Territory
The Smith Family in partnership with the Gungahlin Child and Family Centre
Gungahlin Child and Family Centre
Cnr Ernest Cavanagh Street and Gungahlin Place
Gungahlin ACT 2912
Ph: (02) 6207 0120
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New South Wales
Goonellabah NSW 2480
101A Rous Rd,
Goonellabah NSW 2480
Ph: (02) 6625 5800
Anglicare Blacktown
16 Parkes St
Parramatta NSW 2150
Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Services
68 Maughan St
Wellington NSW 2820
Queensland
Kummara Association Inc
221 Boundary Road, West End, Brisbane, Qld 4101
Phone: 07) 3846 5654
South Australia
Uniting Care Wesely Port Adelaide
70 Dale Street
Port Adelaide SA 5015
Phone:(08) 84402240
Tasmania
Tasmanian Aboriginal Child Care Association (Inc)
89 Lindsay Street
Invermay Tasmania
Phone: (03) 6331 6671
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Victoria
The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency
139 Nicholson St
East Brunswick 3056
Phone: 83881855
Western Australia
Ngala Community Services
9 George St
Kensington WA
Phone: 08 9368 9368