The Australian Government will continue to support a range of early childhood and family support activities for a further three years.
The Australian Government is providing $9.1 million over three years to continue the operation of the nine crèches established under the NTER and will provide capital funding to finish construction of one crèche in Timber Creek and to provide upgrades to two existing crèches. Crèches enable Indigenous families to access early learning programs and facilitate linkages across other early childhood services such as maternal health, child health, and school and parenting services.
A further $2.8 million over three years will extend Indigenous families’ access to playgroups, enabling five facilitated playgroups to continue and funding three new facilitated playgroups.These playgroups will assist an estimated 1120 Indigenous families and their children.
$1.5 million over three years will support a range of early childhood services to improve the skills of families and train young people about pregnancy, birth and parenting. The services will also help to address drug and alcohol issues. It is estimated that 360 vulnerable Indigenous families and children in the NorthernTerritory will benefit from this funding.
Under the Indigenous Early Childhood National Partnership, the Australian Government has committed to establishing five Child and Family Centres in the Northern Territory over the next five years. The first two will be in Maningrida and Yuendumu.
Family Support Package: The Australian Government is providing a further $32.9million over three years to support 22 ’safe places’ in 15 remote communities and in Darwin and Alice Springs. This includes 13 women’s safe houses and nine men’s cooling-off places.
To help finalise the operating model, the Northern Territory Government will address issues relating to staff employment, duty of care, training and ongoing support. In managing safe places, the Northern Territory Government will consult with communities through a Cultural Reference Group to be established in each community.
The funding also enables continuation of the Mobile Child Protection Team and the existing Remote Aboriginal Family and Community Workers positions in 13communities. In relation to this, the Northern Territory Government has agreed to substantially strengthen the capacity of child protection services.
Youth Services: The NTER Review recommended that a comprehensive strategy be developed and implemented for youth-development services, addressing both capital infrastructure and recurrent funding.
The Australian and Northern Territory Governments agree that better engagement with young people is fundamental to optimising education, training and employment opportunities.
The Australian Government is providing $28.4 million over three years to continue a youth program providing social and recreational activities to help prevent anti-social behaviour. The program also aims to build youth-services infrastructure and provide employment and training opportunities for Indigenous people.
The new funding will increase the focus on improving the level and quality of services provided to young people and their families. This work will target young people 10-20 years of age who engage in, or are at risk of, substance abuse. Projects will be developed in collaboration with the Northern Territory Government and, where possible, with shires, non-government providers, and regional and community bodies. The Northern Territory Government has agreed to undertake a stronger coordination role in relation to the delivery of youth services and programs in remote areas.