News

Ground-breaking new Mallee partnership - safeguarding children

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 17:10:00

A ground-breaking new partnership in the Mallee will draw together two of Australia’s leading organisations working in child protection and welfare.

The Australian Childhood Foundation’s Safeguarding Children Program has formed a partnership with Mallee District Aboriginal Services – the first formal partnership of its kind in Australasia.
The partnership, signed today, aims to improve programs protecting and healing Aboriginal children from the trauma of abuse, violence and neglect.
MDAS chief executive officer Rudolph Kirby said the opportunity for MDAS to partner with ACF was a significant honor and privilege.
He said while protecting Koori children in the Mallee was at its core, the partnership was designed for benefits to flow into both organisations, and to flow more broadly to influence practices in communities across the country.
“From the MDAS perspective, we are already leading the way in the Early Years space through the programs we have developed and implemented to strengthen families and protect children from pre-birth,” Mr Kirby said.
“Our Early Years programs are recognised as some of the most innovative and effective of any Indigenous organisation in Australia and working in partnership with the ACF will allow us to be even more active in this space,” he said.
“ACF’s holds the very best expertise in safeguarding children and supporting the recovery of traumatised children and young people, which will be a huge benefit to MDAS and our communities.
“From the ACF’s point of view, MDAS brings to the table our knowledge in culturally-appropriate practice, which is an area they want to be more effective in.”
Australian Childhood Foundation chief executive officer Joe Tucci said fundamental to the partnership was a shared determination to educate and empower communities to keep children and young people safe.
“The Safeguarding Children approach aims to implement best practice policies and standards to protect children and young people, while ensuring that there is the capacity and ability to understand, communicate and effectively interact at the cultural interface,” Mr Tucci said.
“We have been working in this space for a long time, but this partnership allows us to refine and evolve our approaches so they are specific and effective within the context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” he said.
“It will promote a culture that protects children and young people from abuse and exploitation, but within a framework that promotes a positive attitude towards cultural differences.
“Our aim is for a strengthened knowledge of cultural practices and views, and the development of skills for communication and interactions aimed at protecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people across Australia.”