2. Translating What We Know Into What We Do Creating Culturally Competent Early Childhood Services for Indigenous Children Muriel Bamblett Chairperson – Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care CEO – Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency

3. Outline of talk Traditional Circles of Nurture, Learning and Care Colonised Australia as a toxic environment The Cultural Approach Clues to developing a culturally competent service to ensure better outcomes for Aboriginal children

4. Traditional Circles of Nurture, Learning and Care Rituals Dance Food Travel Rights Shelter Clothes Social Rules Marriage Relationships Learning Language Economy Lore Storytelling FamilyLand Beliefs Values Aboriginal Culture Spirituality

5. A ‘Toxic’ Environment: Colonisation as an ongoing reality –Loss of self-determination –Loss of economic and social capacity –Pervasiveness of racism and cultural abuse

6. Cultural Risk Rather than seeing cultural differences as inherently deficient, child vulnerability could be viewed as a consequence of cultural mismatch and the burden of minority status. (Garcia Coll and Magnuson 2000) Risk factors for children and families from minority cultures include: Minority status becomes a source of risk if a society is intolerant of diversity … and therefore discriminates against its members. (Centre for Community Child Health 2003) Services which lack cultural sensitivity or ‘cultural competence, and therefore fail to build and sustain the kinds of relationships that often determine the short- term acceptability and ultimate success of an early childhood intervention or family support program. (Wise and Sanson 2000 )

7. Culture Abuse When the culture of a people is ignored, denigrated, or worse, intentionally attacked, it is cultural abuse. It is abuse because it strikes at the very identity and soul of the people it is aimed at; it attacks their sense of self-esteem, it attacks their connectedness to their family and community.

8. Risk factors Child characteristics Parents and parenting styles Family factors/events Community factors Low birth weight Birth injury Disability Low intelligence Chronic illness Delayed development Difficult temperament Poor attachment Poor social skills Disruptive behaviour Impulsivity Single parent Young maternal age Depression or other mental illness Drug and alcohol abuse Harsh or inconsistent discipline Lack of stimulation of child Lack of warmth and affection Rejection of child Abuse and neglect Family instability, conflict or violence Marital disharmony Divorce Disorganisation Large family size/ rapid successive pregnancies Absence of father Very low level of parental education Socioeconomic disadvantage Housing conditions

9. Child characteristics Parents and parenting styles Family factors/events Community factors Social skills Easy temperament At least average intelligence Attachment to family Independence Good problem solving skills Competent, stable care Breastfeeding Positive attention from parents Supportive relationship with other adults Religious faith Family harmony Positive relationships with extended family Small family size Spacing of siblings by more than two years Positive social networks (for example, peers, teachers and neighbors) Access to positive opportunities (for example, education) Participation in community activities Strengths – protective factors

10. Embedding Culture as Resilience Culture is central to identity. Culture defines who we are, how we think, how we communicate, what we value and what is important to us. We now know that fostering cultural identity is in the best interests of the child.

11. Rights and Cultural Respect Enabling self-determination for Aboriginal communities. Respect for Aboriginal cultures and embedding culture into all aspects of service delivery – both in organisational structure and practice. Positive and mutually respectful engagement between Aboriginal agencies and services and mainstream services Holistic and strengths based approach

12. Cultural Competence Continuum Cultural Destructiveness Cultural Incapacity Cultural Blindness Characterised by Intentional attitudes policies & practices that are destructive to cultures and consequently to individuals within the Culture Characterised by: Lack of capacity to help minority clients or Communities due to extremely biased beliefs and a paternal attitude toward those not of a mainstream culture Characterised by: The belief that service or helping approaches traditionally used by the dominant culture are universally applicable regardless of race or culture. These services ignore cultural strengths and encourage assimilation Characterised by: The desire to deliver quality services and a commitment to diversity indicated by hiring minority staff, initiating training and recruiting minority members for agency leadership, but lacking information on how to maximise these capacities. This level of competence can lead to tokenism Characterised by: Acceptance and respect for difference continuing self assessment, careful attention to the dynamics of difference, continuous expansion of knowledge and resources, and adaptation of services to better meet the needs of diverse populations Characterised by: Holding culture in high esteem: seeking to add to the knowledge base of culturally competent practice by conducting research, influencing approaches to care, and improving relations between cultures Promotes self determination Cultural Pre competence Cultural Competence Cultural Proficiency Towards cultural competence

13. Creating Trust Understanding why Aboriginal organisations are different Recognising cultural issues and issues of capacity building for Aboriginal organisations Importance of developing culturally respectful partnerships Becoming culturally competent – that is, capacity building mainstream

14. Balancing expectations To have Aboriginal Services engaged in meaningful partnerships with mainstream and government services will require services to: –Acknowledge and accept the Aboriginal communities role to self determine and participate in all aspects of decision making –Show high levels of respect in all aspects of engagement –Be premised on equity and careful consideration –Acknowledge that Aboriginal Services do not enter into partnerships with the same finance and resource capacity –Undertake a community development approach to the partnership

15. Towards cultural competence Recognise that culture and connection to community is in the best interests of Aboriginal people Being a culturally safe organisation Respect and understanding of culture Understanding the impacts of our history Take action to address racism

16. Respect Family Community Identity Culture Honesty Our Land Elders Children Self determination Working With Aboriginal People Sharing Humor Connecting Aspects that are important to Aboriginal people

17. Culturally Embedded Playgroups Provide activities which: - Promote healthy development - Strengthen identity and cultural awareness - Strengthen families by: - connecting them to community - strengthening inter-generational links. - providing parenting advice and support - linking children and families to universal services where required.

18. Multi Functional Aboriginal Centres Strong involvement of community Involvement of Aboriginal men as positive role models Parenting information & support programs including home visiting Mothers, fathers and grandparent support groups Use of culture as the key ingredient in empowering children and families.

19. Conclusion Disconnection is a critical risk factor that mitigates against resilience. Culture has enabled resilience and survival Our children live in a hybrid world which is both Indigenous and post-invasion Australian. We need to tell our Indigenous kids that they are valued and loved and that their culture is valued and respected. Culture can provide that sense of belonging and through that belonging, resilience.